The orbital angular momentum of electrons offers a promising, yet underexplored, degree of freedom for ultrafast, energy-efficient information processing. As the foundation of orbitronics, understanding how orbital polarizations propagate and convert into charge currents is essential but remains elusive due to the challenge in disentangling orbital and spin dynamics in thin films. While some theoretical studies predict that orbital transport is constrained to sub-atomic-layer scales in materials, recent experiments have reported exceptionally long orbital diffusion lengths. To address this contradiction, we combine terahertz emission spectroscopy with a wedge-sample platform to systematically investigate spin and orbital transport in heavy metals with subnanometre resolution. Our measurements access the previously unexplored thin-film regimes (<3 nm), uncovering anomalous behaviours that challenge the prevailing interpretations of long-range orbital transport. We consistently find the orbital diffusion lengths (λL) to be substantially shorter than the spin diffusion lengths (λS) in heavy metals, with λL in W approaching 0.36 nm. Interface-sensitive control experiments further rule out interfacial orbital-to-charge conversion as the dominant mechanism, supporting the bulk inverse orbital Hall effect as the primary conversion process.
{"title":"Evidences of subnanometre orbital diffusion length in heavy metals using terahertz emission spectroscopy","authors":"Tongyang Guan, Jiahao Liu, Wentao Qin, Yongwei Cui, Shunjia Wang, Yizheng Wu, Zhensheng Tao","doi":"10.1038/s41565-026-02125-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-026-02125-0","url":null,"abstract":"The orbital angular momentum of electrons offers a promising, yet underexplored, degree of freedom for ultrafast, energy-efficient information processing. As the foundation of orbitronics, understanding how orbital polarizations propagate and convert into charge currents is essential but remains elusive due to the challenge in disentangling orbital and spin dynamics in thin films. While some theoretical studies predict that orbital transport is constrained to sub-atomic-layer scales in materials, recent experiments have reported exceptionally long orbital diffusion lengths. To address this contradiction, we combine terahertz emission spectroscopy with a wedge-sample platform to systematically investigate spin and orbital transport in heavy metals with subnanometre resolution. Our measurements access the previously unexplored thin-film regimes (<3 nm), uncovering anomalous behaviours that challenge the prevailing interpretations of long-range orbital transport. We consistently find the orbital diffusion lengths (λL) to be substantially shorter than the spin diffusion lengths (λS) in heavy metals, with λL in W approaching 0.36 nm. Interface-sensitive control experiments further rule out interfacial orbital-to-charge conversion as the dominant mechanism, supporting the bulk inverse orbital Hall effect as the primary conversion process.","PeriodicalId":18915,"journal":{"name":"Nature nanotechnology","volume":"17 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":38.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147351053","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The application of messenger RNA (mRNA) beyond infectious diseases is challenged by inefficient protein production. Whereas the engineering of secondary mRNA structures has been shown to increase mRNA half-life, it remains unclear whether tertiary mRNA structures influence therapeutic efficacy. Here we develop a metal-ion-assisted RNA folding (MARF) strategy and show that, when delivered with lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), specific metals promote mRNA folding architectures that result in the amplification of protein expression by up to 7.3-fold compared with control mRNA. This effect is due to altered mechanical interactions between the mRNA LNPs and the surrounding biosystem, resulting in enhanced intracellular processing and prolonged retention of delivered mRNA in targeted cells. Administered intravenously, MARF LNPs achieved effective and durable genome editing of the clinically relevant Pcsk9 gene through treatment with a single dose. Overall, this work provides a new MARF technology for more effective mRNA therapy and highlights the potential of mechanical cues in designing nanoparticles for improved mRNA delivery.
{"title":"Rational design of rigid mRNA folding architecture to enhance intracellular processing and protein production.","authors":"Bowei Yang,Benhao Li,Youliang Zhu,Mengyao Zhao,Yuanqi Cheng,Xiaodan Zhao,Deryn Teoh En-Jie,Yifan Wang,Miao Zhang,Xianglong Tang,Shuang Jin,Yibin Sun,Xuanbo Zhang,Bin Xue,Jie Yan,Guanglu Wu,Zhewang Lin,Min Luo,Haojie Yu,Longjiang Zhang,Xiaoyuan Chen,Qianqian Ni","doi":"10.1038/s41565-025-02114-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-025-02114-9","url":null,"abstract":"The application of messenger RNA (mRNA) beyond infectious diseases is challenged by inefficient protein production. Whereas the engineering of secondary mRNA structures has been shown to increase mRNA half-life, it remains unclear whether tertiary mRNA structures influence therapeutic efficacy. Here we develop a metal-ion-assisted RNA folding (MARF) strategy and show that, when delivered with lipid nanoparticles (LNPs), specific metals promote mRNA folding architectures that result in the amplification of protein expression by up to 7.3-fold compared with control mRNA. This effect is due to altered mechanical interactions between the mRNA LNPs and the surrounding biosystem, resulting in enhanced intracellular processing and prolonged retention of delivered mRNA in targeted cells. Administered intravenously, MARF LNPs achieved effective and durable genome editing of the clinically relevant Pcsk9 gene through treatment with a single dose. Overall, this work provides a new MARF technology for more effective mRNA therapy and highlights the potential of mechanical cues in designing nanoparticles for improved mRNA delivery.","PeriodicalId":18915,"journal":{"name":"Nature nanotechnology","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":38.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147329415","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-03-02DOI: 10.1038/s41565-026-02135-y
Yung-Tai Chiang,Milica Ritopecki,Patrik O Willi,Katja Raue,Jordi Morales-Vidal,Tangsheng Zou,Mikhail Agrachev,Henrik Eliasson,Jianyang Wang,Rolf Erni,Wendelin J Stark,Gunnar Jeschke,Robert N Grass,Núria López,Sharon Mitchell,Javier Pérez-Ramírez
Indium-zirconium oxides rank among the most selective and stable catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol. Yet, despite extensive research, the mechanistic origin of the exceptional role of monoclinic zirconia remains unresolved and continues to set the benchmark in the field. Here we show that monoclinic hafnia, a wide-bandgap oxide rarely explored in catalysis, can outperform this benchmark. Nanostructured indium-hafnium oxides synthesized via flame spray pyrolysis achieve up to 70% higher indium-specific methanol productivity than indium-zirconium oxides, with the largest gains observed for single atoms of indium. Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that a combination of stable monoclinic support surfaces, flexible chemical potential of indium single atoms and the presence of a cooperative hydride-proton reservoir collectively enhance CO2 activation and intermediate hydrogenation. Crucially, the precise control of surface hydroxylation is required. These findings establish a new benchmark for green methanol synthesis and provide generalizable design principles for next-generation oxide supports in single-atom catalysis.
{"title":"Single atoms of indium on hafnia enable superior CO2-based methanol synthesis.","authors":"Yung-Tai Chiang,Milica Ritopecki,Patrik O Willi,Katja Raue,Jordi Morales-Vidal,Tangsheng Zou,Mikhail Agrachev,Henrik Eliasson,Jianyang Wang,Rolf Erni,Wendelin J Stark,Gunnar Jeschke,Robert N Grass,Núria López,Sharon Mitchell,Javier Pérez-Ramírez","doi":"10.1038/s41565-026-02135-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-026-02135-y","url":null,"abstract":"Indium-zirconium oxides rank among the most selective and stable catalysts for CO2 hydrogenation to methanol. Yet, despite extensive research, the mechanistic origin of the exceptional role of monoclinic zirconia remains unresolved and continues to set the benchmark in the field. Here we show that monoclinic hafnia, a wide-bandgap oxide rarely explored in catalysis, can outperform this benchmark. Nanostructured indium-hafnium oxides synthesized via flame spray pyrolysis achieve up to 70% higher indium-specific methanol productivity than indium-zirconium oxides, with the largest gains observed for single atoms of indium. Experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that a combination of stable monoclinic support surfaces, flexible chemical potential of indium single atoms and the presence of a cooperative hydride-proton reservoir collectively enhance CO2 activation and intermediate hydrogenation. Crucially, the precise control of surface hydroxylation is required. These findings establish a new benchmark for green methanol synthesis and provide generalizable design principles for next-generation oxide supports in single-atom catalysis.","PeriodicalId":18915,"journal":{"name":"Nature nanotechnology","volume":"96 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":38.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147329417","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The development of compact and highly sensitive microwave detectors compatible with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processes remains a major challenge in microwave technology. Spin-torque diodes are emerging nanoscale spintronic devices capable of surpassing the theoretical thermodynamic sensitivity limits of Schottky diodes. However, their practical use in compact systems is limited by the need for external antennas or probes. Here we demonstrate a magnetoelectric (ME) spin-torque microwave detector that monolithically integrates a ME antenna with a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). The device directly converts wireless electromagnetic signals into a d.c. output at sub-microwatt power levels, achieving a sensitivity greater than 90 kV W-1, a noise equivalent power of 3 pW Hz-1/2 and a compact footprint of 0.4 mm2. This performance is due to the non-linear coupling between incoherent magnetization dynamics, driven by a d.c. current in the MTJ, and the combined effects of the microwave voltage and strain generated by the ME antenna under incident electromagnetic waves. We further show that this design is scalable, enabling the cointegration of a ME antenna with an array of MTJs. A detector incorporating four MTJs exhibits an increased sensitivity exceeding 400 kV W-1. Our results may contribute to the development of a new generation of highly sensitive, compact and scalable microwave detectors that combine ME antennas and spintronic diodes.
{"title":"A CMOS-compatible, scalable and compact magnetoelectric spin-torque microwave detector.","authors":"Shuhui Liu,Riccardo Tomasello,Bin Fang,Aitian Chen,Like Zhang,Zhenhao Liu,Rui Hu,Wenkui Lin,Mario Carpentieri,Baoshun Zhang,Xixiang Zhang,Giovanni Finocchio,Zhongming Zeng","doi":"10.1038/s41565-026-02129-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-026-02129-w","url":null,"abstract":"The development of compact and highly sensitive microwave detectors compatible with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processes remains a major challenge in microwave technology. Spin-torque diodes are emerging nanoscale spintronic devices capable of surpassing the theoretical thermodynamic sensitivity limits of Schottky diodes. However, their practical use in compact systems is limited by the need for external antennas or probes. Here we demonstrate a magnetoelectric (ME) spin-torque microwave detector that monolithically integrates a ME antenna with a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ). The device directly converts wireless electromagnetic signals into a d.c. output at sub-microwatt power levels, achieving a sensitivity greater than 90 kV W-1, a noise equivalent power of 3 pW Hz-1/2 and a compact footprint of 0.4 mm2. This performance is due to the non-linear coupling between incoherent magnetization dynamics, driven by a d.c. current in the MTJ, and the combined effects of the microwave voltage and strain generated by the ME antenna under incident electromagnetic waves. We further show that this design is scalable, enabling the cointegration of a ME antenna with an array of MTJs. A detector incorporating four MTJs exhibits an increased sensitivity exceeding 400 kV W-1. Our results may contribute to the development of a new generation of highly sensitive, compact and scalable microwave detectors that combine ME antennas and spintronic diodes.","PeriodicalId":18915,"journal":{"name":"Nature nanotechnology","volume":"99 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":38.3,"publicationDate":"2026-03-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147329414","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The development of corrosion-resistant low-iridium anode catalysts is the key challenge in proton exchange membrane water electrolysis. However, the fundamental origin of anodic corrosion has been intensely debated over the years, mainly because of the limited mechanistic understanding of the complex proton-coupled electron transfer process. In this work, we employed femtosecond electrochemical transient absorption spectroscopy to probe the spatial-temporal synchronization of protons and electrons during the elementary proton-coupled electron transfer step at the femtosecond (10-15 s) timescale. Here we show that anodic corrosion is initiated within 100 fs after polarization startup, driven by synchronized protons and electrons coupling at the electrode surface. By introducing a Lewis acid (CeO2) as a proton channel, the reaction dynamics of protons and electrons could be decoupled into temporal asynchrony to prevent the generation of soluble Ir6+ species. Owing to this unique desynchronized proton-electron interaction, the CeO2-IrO2 catalyst demonstrates outstanding stability for about 1,400 h of continuous operation.
{"title":"Proton-electron temporal asynchrony on femtosecond timescales enables anti-corrosive low-iridium anodes for PEM electrolysers.","authors":"Wei Shen, Fei-Yue Gao, Xiaogang Sun, Haodian Xie, Yang Hu, Huiying Wu, Mietek Jaroniec, Yao Zheng, Pinxian Xi, Chun-Hua Yan, Shi-Zhang Qiao","doi":"10.1038/s41565-026-02136-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-026-02136-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>The development of corrosion-resistant low-iridium anode catalysts is the key challenge in proton exchange membrane water electrolysis. However, the fundamental origin of anodic corrosion has been intensely debated over the years, mainly because of the limited mechanistic understanding of the complex proton-coupled electron transfer process. In this work, we employed femtosecond electrochemical transient absorption spectroscopy to probe the spatial-temporal synchronization of protons and electrons during the elementary proton-coupled electron transfer step at the femtosecond (10<sup>-15</sup> s) timescale. Here we show that anodic corrosion is initiated within 100 fs after polarization startup, driven by synchronized protons and electrons coupling at the electrode surface. By introducing a Lewis acid (CeO<sub>2</sub>) as a proton channel, the reaction dynamics of protons and electrons could be decoupled into temporal asynchrony to prevent the generation of soluble Ir<sup>6+</sup> species. Owing to this unique desynchronized proton-electron interaction, the CeO<sub>2</sub>-IrO<sub>2</sub> catalyst demonstrates outstanding stability for about 1,400 h of continuous operation.</p>","PeriodicalId":18915,"journal":{"name":"Nature nanotechnology","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":34.9,"publicationDate":"2026-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147317756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-24DOI: 10.1038/s41565-025-02065-1
Ti Xie, Qinqin Wang, Hongrui Zhang, Khimananda Acharya, Ju Chen, Chen Liu, Zhihao Song, Samuel August Deitemyer, Hasitha Suriya Arachchige, Qishuo Tan, Andrew F. May, Seng Huat Lee, Michael A. Susner, Zhiqiang Mao, Michael A. McGuire, Xi Ling, David Mandrus, Xixiang Zhang, Shi-Jing Gong, Tula R. Paudel, Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, Cheng Gong
{"title":"Tailorable multiferroic tunnel junctions from all-van der Waals multilayer stacking","authors":"Ti Xie, Qinqin Wang, Hongrui Zhang, Khimananda Acharya, Ju Chen, Chen Liu, Zhihao Song, Samuel August Deitemyer, Hasitha Suriya Arachchige, Qishuo Tan, Andrew F. May, Seng Huat Lee, Michael A. Susner, Zhiqiang Mao, Michael A. McGuire, Xi Ling, David Mandrus, Xixiang Zhang, Shi-Jing Gong, Tula R. Paudel, Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, Cheng Gong","doi":"10.1038/s41565-025-02065-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-025-02065-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18915,"journal":{"name":"Nature nanotechnology","volume":"5 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":38.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147278858","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-02-18DOI: 10.1038/s41565-025-02110-z
Dominik Weintz, Martin Werres, Birger Horstmann, Rachid Amine, Chi-Cheung Su, Xinlin Li, Yaobin Xu, Ridwan A. Ahmed, Wu Xu, Chongmin Wang, Bastian von Holtum, Simon Wiemers-Meyer, Dongliang Chen, Jianwei Lai, Feifei Shi, Sascha Berg, Egbert Figgemeier, Christian O. Plaza-Rivera, Daniel Wang, Yang Shao-Horn, Aravind Unni, Ulrike Krewer, Stephen Scoggins, Perla B. Balbuena, Jorge M. Seminario, Asia Sarycheva, Ziyuan Lyu, Dominic Bresser, Florian Hausen, Rüdiger-A. Eichel, Khalil Amine, Arnulf Latz, Robert Kostecki, Martin Winter, Isidora Cekic-Laskovic
{"title":"Nanoengineering of non-aqueous liquid electrolyte solutions for future lithium metal batteries","authors":"Dominik Weintz, Martin Werres, Birger Horstmann, Rachid Amine, Chi-Cheung Su, Xinlin Li, Yaobin Xu, Ridwan A. Ahmed, Wu Xu, Chongmin Wang, Bastian von Holtum, Simon Wiemers-Meyer, Dongliang Chen, Jianwei Lai, Feifei Shi, Sascha Berg, Egbert Figgemeier, Christian O. Plaza-Rivera, Daniel Wang, Yang Shao-Horn, Aravind Unni, Ulrike Krewer, Stephen Scoggins, Perla B. Balbuena, Jorge M. Seminario, Asia Sarycheva, Ziyuan Lyu, Dominic Bresser, Florian Hausen, Rüdiger-A. Eichel, Khalil Amine, Arnulf Latz, Robert Kostecki, Martin Winter, Isidora Cekic-Laskovic","doi":"10.1038/s41565-025-02110-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-025-02110-z","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":18915,"journal":{"name":"Nature nanotechnology","volume":"96 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":38.3,"publicationDate":"2026-02-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146210331","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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