Diluted magnetic semiconductors have received much attention due to their potential applications for spintronics devices. A prototypical system (Ga,Mn)As has been widely studied since the 1990s. The simultaneous spin and charge doping via hetero-valent (Ga 3 þ ,Mn 2 þ ) substitution, however, resulted in severely limited solubility without availability of bulk specimens. Here we report the synthesis of a new diluted magnetic semiconductor (Ba 1 À x K x )(Zn 1 À y Mn y ) 2 As 2 , which is isostructural to the 122 iron-based superconductors with the tetragonal ThCr 2 Si 2 (122) structure. Holes are doped via (Ba 2 þ , K 1 þ ) replacements, while spins via isovalent (Zn 2 þ ,Mn 2 þ ) substitutions. Bulk samples with x ¼ 0.1 À 0.3 and y ¼ 0.05 À 0.15 exhibit ferromagnetic order with T C up to 180 K, which is comparable to the highest T C for (Ga,Mn)As and significantly enhanced from T C up to 50 K of the '111'-based Li(Zn,Mn)As. Moreover, ferromagnetic (Ba,K)(Zn,Mn) 2 As 2 shares the same 122 crystal structure with semiconducting BaZn 2 As 2 , antiferromagnetic BaMn 2 As 2 and superconducting (Ba,K)Fe 2 As 2 , which makes them promising for the development of multilayer functional devices.

Among transition metal nitrides, tungsten nitrides possess unique and/or superior chemical, mechanical, and thermal properties. Preparation of these nitrides, however, is challenging because the incorporation of nitrogen into tungsten lattice is thermodynamically unfavorable at atmospheric pressure. To date, most materials in the W−N system are in the form of thin films produced by nonequilibrium processes and are often poorly crystallized, which severely limits their use in diverse technological applications. Here we report synthesis of tungsten nitrides through new approaches involving solid-state ion exchange and nitrogen degassing under pressure. We unveil a number of novel nitrides including hexagonal and rhombohedral W 2 N 3 . The final products are phase-pure and well-crystallized in bulk forms. For hexagonal W 2 N 3 , hexagonal WN, and cubic W 3 N 4 , they exhibit elastic properties rivaling or even exceeding cubic-BN. All four nitrides are prepared at a moderate pressure of 5 GPa, the lowest among high-pressure synthesis of transition metal nitrides, making it practically feasible for massive and industrial-scale production.

Self-organization of colloidal Pt nanocubes into two types of distinct ordered superlattices, simple-cubic and body-centered-tetragonal structures, has been achieved using a home-built setup. Detailed translational and orientational characteristics of these superstructures were determined using a transmission electron microscopy tomographic technique with 3D reconstruction analysis. The formation of these distinct superlattices is the result of a delicate choice of solvent (i.e., aliphatic hexane or aromatic toluene hydrocarbons), which serves as a dispersion medium to fine-tune the relative strengths of ligand-ligand and ligand-solvent interactions during the self-assembly process. This work provides important insights into the effects of ligand-solvent interactions on superlattice formation from nonspherical nanoparticles.