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To turn on and obtain emission from lanthanide-doped insulating nanoparticles, an electrical excitation pathway coupling them to organic optical molecules to form nanohybrids is described, enabling tunable electroluminescence properties of LEDs fabricated from such materials.

Controlling nanoscale interfaces is key for ensuring stable plasmonic and catalytic function yet remains difficult to achieve under operando conditions. Now it has been shown that transient Au–Cl adlayers function as redox-active Au(I) intermediates, modulating interfacial electrostatics. This modulation stabilizes gold nanogaps and directs ligand rebinding, thereby enabling reproducible regeneration of subnanometre architectures.

A collaborative effort between a photographer and a chemist could show scientists how to make the small scale more intuitive, says Jeremy Baumberg.

Optical assembly of nanoparticle structures could open new avenues for manufacturing nanomaterials and devices. Herrmann et al.show the plasmon-induced laser threading of gold nanoparticle strings, enabling them to fabricate precisely assembled 12-nm wide conducting chains.

Polariton condensates provide an arena in which to study interesting non-equilibrium condensate dynamics. Tosi et al. generate stable vortex lattices in a polariton condensate and study their macroscopic wavefunction, uncovering a nonlinear regime for topological defects at high densities.

DNA origami is a versatile fabrication approach for building tailored nanostructures. Thacker et al.apply it to the assembly of gold nanoparticle dimers with sub-5 nm gaps and show how the resulting plasmonic resonances can be exploited for surface-enhanced Raman scattering.

Placing a light emitter in an ultra-small optical cavity results in coupling between matter and light, generating new forms of emission that can be exploited in practical or fundamental applications; here, a system is described in which strong light–matter coupling occurs at room temperature and in ambient conditions by aligning single dye molecules in the optical cavities between gold nanoparticles and surfaces.

Two gold nanostructures with controllable subnanometre separation are used to follow the evolution of plasmonic modes; the distance at which quantum tunnelling sets in is determined, and a quantum limit for plasmonic field confinement is estimated.

Polaritons—quasiparticles made up of a photon and exciton strongly coupled together—can form macroscopic quantum states even at room temperature. Now these so-called condensates are imaged directly. This achievement could aid the development of semiconductor-based polariton-condensate devices.

The extreme light confinement of plasmonic nanocavities is constrained by material limitations. Here, authors show how to lay down precision atomic layers within plasmonic nanocavities that fully reveal the catalytic properties of transition metals while maintaining strong plasmonic properties.

Nacre is an organic–inorganic composite biomaterial, which consists of an ordered multilayer structure of crystalline calcium carbonate platelets separated by porous organic layers. Finnemoreet al. present a route to artificial nacre which mimics the natural layer-by-layer biosynthesis.

Low frequency vibrations of molecules are collective motions of many atoms, and thus very sensitive to their surroundings. Here, authors use light ultra-confined to the nanoscale, to measure single molecule vibrations below 1 THz. These show tapping and shearing motions, like waves on a string.

Self-assembled perovskite nanoplatelets emit linearly polarized light, enabling the realization of red perovskite light-emitting diodes with a 74.4% degree of linear polarization.

SERS is a powerful analytical technique, but achieving reproducibility for continuous analysis a challenge. Here, the authors report a SERS substrate recycling method that enables direct analysis of complex samples without substrate contamination.

Photoelectrochemical CO₂ reduction to multi-carbon alcohols in standalone devices driven only by sunlight is challenging. Now Rahaman et al. integrate a copper–palladium catalyst in a perovskite–BiVO₄ tandem device for solar-driven multi-carbon alcohol production.

Extreme confinement of light in plasmonic nanocavities strongly enhances the optomechanical coupling of light with molecular vibrations. Here, the authors use a giant optical spring effect to reversibly weaken molecular bonds.

Two-dimensional materials offer the prospect of excitonic devices operating at room-temperature. Here, Kleemann et al. demonstrate that by tuning the number of WSe₂ layers in a nanoparticle-on-mirror geometry, room-temperature plasmon strong-coupling can be achieved with large Rabi splittings.

Colour mixing and other optical effects displayed by the wings of the Papilio blumei butterfly have now been replicated by a combination of colloid self-assembly and other standard layer-deposition techniques.

Small semiconductor nanocrystals control the assembly of larger plasmonic nanostructures through interfacial self-limiting aggregation, leading to permeable and colloidally stable photoactive hybrids for photocatalysis and tracking of light-induced electron transfer.

Exciton-polaritons are typically formed in organic systems when the molecules are confined between metallic or dielectric mirrors. Here, the authors reveal that interactions between excitons and moderately confined photonic states within the bare organic film can also lead to polariton formation, making them the primary photoexcitation.

Plasmonic nanostructures can drive light-driven catalytic reactions, but controlling reaction kinetics remains challenging. Here, the authors design plasmonic nanoreactors that enhance control of catalytic reactions, revealing distinct kinetics based on molecular configuration and monolayer placement.

Understanding the deformation of nanoparticle lattices in elastic materials is crucial for photonics. Here, authors reveal 3D lattice transformations under strain with models and experiments, demonstrating tuneable optical properties and significant structural changes.

Tracking single molecule movements is a challenging task, but highly desired for applications and fundamental studies. Here the authors reconstruct the sub-angstrom relative movements of a molecule interacting with a metal adatom, by measuring its vibrational spectrum in a self-assembled monolayer, continuously modified by the adatom in a nanoparticle-on-mirror construct.

A bright pure quantum light source is essential for photonic circuit quantum technologies. Here, authors develop a route to consistently couple single quantum dots into plasmonic nanocavities at high yield, achieving strong coupling at room temperature and electrically pumped devices.

Detecting the vibrations of individual molecules directly in the mid-infrared regime is hindered by thermal noise. Here researchers bypass conventional detectors and upconvert the mid-infrared photons into visible light using molecular bonds, yielding an optical readout for single-molecule vibrational spectroscopy.

Here, the authors perform statistical measurements on hundreds of plasmonic nano-cavities embedding WSe₂ monolayers, and show the activation of anti-Stokes photoluminescence in WSe₂ through resonant excitation of a dark exciton at room temperature.

The nature of the molecule-metal interface is crucial for many technological applications. Here, the authors show that the photostability of the material can be sensitive to room light when coated with a single molecular layer, with implications for devices and processes.

New analytical tools are needed to identify chemical degradation and failure mechanisms in Li-ion batteries. Here, the authors report an operando Raman spectroscopy method, based on hollow-core optical fibres, that enables monitoring the chemistry of liquid electrolytes during battery cycling.

The spin-switching of optically induced polariton condensates can be externally controlled with an electric field, with switching energies below 0.5 fJ.

Light absorbers are not 100% efficient, and it is a challenge to absorb light completely for any direction of incidence. Using nanostructured metal surfaces, de Abajo and colleagues show that such omnidirectional absorption is now possible, potentially leading to more efficient solar cells.

Packing nanoparticles into ordered superstructures finds applications in photonic materials, but fabrication over large scales is challenging. Zhao et al. show a roll-to-roll approach to prepare flexible films of ordered polymer nanoparticles via an oscillatory shear-induced structural transition.

A nanoplasmonic technique was used to investigate in operando the switching properties of materials used in redox random access memories, providing insight into the operation and potential breakdown mechanisms of the devices.

The effective absorption spectrum of metal-bound molecules and a rich plasmon-driven chemistry landscape are constructed by monitoring the interfacial environment of a thousand single nanocavities with slightly varied resonance energies.

The large-scale fabrication of cellulose nanocrystal photonic films in a roll-to-roll device is achieved by careful optimization of the cellulose nanocrystal formulation and its controlled deposition and drying on a substrate. Once dry, these photonic films can be peeled and milled into effect pigments, highlighting the potential of cellulose nanocrystals as a sustainable material for industrial photonic applications.

Self-assembled structures are typically demonstrated on small scales under well-controlled lab environments. Here, the authors present a roll-to-roll process for the continuous manufacturing of square-meters of self-assembled cellulose-based mechano-chromic films and demonstrate the recording of pressure profiles generated by foot-imprints in real time.

Here, the authors report the coupling between a single dye molecule and plasmonic nanocavity at room temperature. They provide insight into the statistical properties of the emission and observe non-classical emission, with photon bunching and anti-bunching regimes dependent on the excitation wavelength.

Tracking immobilized molecular complexes under in situ conditions is vital for the development of next-generation catalysts, although the poor surface sensitivity of many techniques makes this challenging. Now, the role of the anchoring group in a nickel bis(terpyridine) complex has been elucidated by in situ gap-plasmon-assisted SERS coupled with DFT calculations.

Plasmons in sub-nm cavities can enable chemical processes within plasmonic hotspots. Here the authors use surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy to track hot-electron-induced chemical reduction processes in aromatic molecules, thus enabling observation of redox processes at the single-molecule level.

Dynamic restructuring of metal nanoparticle surfaces greatly influences their catalytic, electronic transport, and chemical binding functionalities. Here, the authors show that non-equilibrium atomic-scale lattice defects can be detected in nanoparticles by using nano-optics at the sub-5nm scale.

The development of molecular electronics at single molecule level calls for new tools beyond electrical characterisation. Kos et al. show an optical probe of molecular junctions in a plasmonic nanocavity geometry, which supports in situ interrogation of molecular configurations.

Disordered nanoscale striations on petals, tepals and bracts have evolved multiple times among flowering plants and provide a salient visual signal to foraging bumblebees (Bombus terrestris).