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Scanning transmission electron microscopy is a powerful material probe, but constrained to large atomic number samples due to the issues of beam damage and weak scattering. Here, Ophus et al.propose a method that produces linear phase contrast in a focused electron beam to image dose-sensitive objects.

Synthesis of heterostructures of magnetic intercalation compounds in transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) via directed topotactic reactions enables the creation of multi-component magnetic architectures, overcoming limitations of crystallographic incommensurability

Energy density and cyclability are often a trade-off for lithium-ion batteries. The authors develop cobalt- and nickel-free cathodes with both good cycling stability and high energy density through the integration of polyanion units into rocksalt structures.

Pt-based catalysts are the state of the art for the oxygen reduction reaction. Now the three-dimensional local atomic structure of PtNi and Mo-doped PtNi nanoparticles is revealed via atomic electron tomography, and a local environment descriptor of catalytic activity is put forwards.

The operational conditions used for electron microscopy can limit the insight that can be gained from fragile material samples. It is shown here how high-resolution TEM analysis of delicate MOFs can be achieved.

Using a three-pronged approach — spanning field-driven negative capacitance stabilization to increase intrinsic energy storage, antiferroelectric superlattice engineering to increase total energy storage, and conformal three-dimensional deposition to increase areal energy storage density — very high electrostatic energy storage density and power density are reported in HfO₂–ZrO₂-based thin film microcapacitors integrated into silicon.

Complete strain tensor fields of twisted bilayer graphene are quantitatively mapped, revealing two-regime reconstruction mechanics depending on twist angle.

Corrosion is a ubiquitous failure mode in materials. Here the authors report a percolating 1D wormhole corrosion morphology using advanced electron microscopy and theoretical simulations. The work presents a vacancy mapping method with nm-resolution, identifying the incubation sites of the wormholes.

Lattice reconstruction crucially influences the electronic properties of twisted van der Waals structures. Here, the authors report a quantitative characterization of the mechanical deformations occurring in small-angle twisted bilayers and heterobilayers of 2D semiconductors via interferometric 4D scanning transmission electron microscopy.

Nanoparticle catalysts can be highly active, but are susceptible to deactivation due to sintering under operational conditions. The Pt and Pd–Pt catalysts synthesized here are stable under demanding reaction conditions with temperatures as high as 1,100 °C.

Competing phases in layered complex oxides are believed to be relevant for emergent phenomena, which still await to be witnessed. Here, Stone et al. report direct atomic-scale imaging of a multitude of polar phases in Ruddlesden-Popper oxide thin films, exhibiting diverse phenomena in a single structure.

In the standard Si transistor gate stack, replacing conventional dielectric HfO₂ with an ultrathin ferroelectric–antiferroelectric HfO₂–ZrO₂ heterostructure exhibiting the negative capacitance effect demonstrates ultrahigh capacitance without degradation in leakage and mobility, promising for ferroelectric integration into advanced logic technology.

The origins of deformation twins in Mg have remained unclear in the past. Here the authors, by combining in situ experimental observations and atomistic simulations, capture the rapid twinning phenomena in Mg crystals and show that twinning occurs through pure atomic shuffle.

Despite recent success in developing new covalent organic frameworks (COFs) materials, synthesis of chemically stable COFs still remains challenging. Here the authors demonstrate a facile strategy that transforms imine-linked COFs into robust porous aromatic frameworks by kinetically fixing the reversible imine linkage via an aza-Diels-Alder cycloaddition reaction.

Enhanced switchable ferroelectric polarization is achieved in doped hafnium oxide films grown directly onto silicon using low-temperature atomic layer deposition, even at thicknesses of just one nanometre.

The electrochemical conversion of CO and H₂O into liquid fuel is made feasible at modest potentials with the use of oxide-derived nanocystalline Cu as the catalyst.

Marcus Gallagher-Jones et al. use 4DSTEM to reconstruct real-space maps of single peptide nanocrystals at cryogenic temperature. They identify regions of crystal order/disorder providing new insights into crystal mosaicity.