Characterization and analytical techniques articles from across Nature Portfolio

Polymer electrolytes are promising candidates as separators in lithium metal batteries. Here, authors reveal the existence of local lithium-based crystallites inside the polymer electrolyte in a lithium symmetric cell. A combination of unique operando wide-angle X-ray scattering with a nano-sized beam and complementary spectroscopic techniques identifies these crystallites as lithium carbonate, lithium hydroxide, and even metallic lithium. It is shown that these crystallites lower the ionic conductivity and the transference number.

The inability to observe the rapid, initial transformations that dictate nanomaterial fate constitutes a fundamental scientific gap, forcing risk assessments to rely on retrospective, incomplete data. A paradigm shift to real-time, operando characterization is vital to build the predictive understanding required for the development of safe and sustainable nanomaterials and applications.

Tariq Hussein explains how femtosecond lasers can be used to help design better organic photovoltaics by monitoring charge carrier dynamics.

The rapid commercialization of carbon capture technologies has underscored the need for careful evaluation of sorbents capable of selective CO₂ capture. This Comment identifies several key considerations in taking porous CO₂ capture materials from the laboratory to commercial scale.

Nirel Bernstein presents a technique to measure spin torque of skyrmions in magnetically non-uniform materials.

A ‘one box’ primary standard for electrical units could lead to savings in the cost, complexity and energy use of measurement systems.

Yonatan Ossia describes how focussed ion beam milling can help to correlate the emission spectroscopy of quantum dots with electron micrographs.