Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41588223›Full record

ArticleNature materials2026

How charge frustration causes ion ordering and microphase separation at surfaces.

Mingyi Zhang, Benjamin A Legg, Benjamin A Helfrecht, Yuanzhong Zhang, Shuai Tan, Ying Xia, Rae Karell Yodong, Monica Iepure, Venkateshkumar Prabhakaran, Peter J Pauzauskie and 3 more

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In one paragraph

Article in Nature materials, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Mingyi ZhangPhysical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9996-6774
Benjamin A LeggPhysical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA. Benjamin.Legg@pnnl.gov.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3055-1829
Benjamin A HelfrechtPhysical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2260-7183
Yuanzhong ZhangDepartment of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0608-3380
Shuai TanPhysical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.
Ying XiaDepartment of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0126-6594
Rae Karell YodongDepartment of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
Monica IepureDepartment of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.
Venkateshkumar PrabhakaranPhysical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6692-6488
Peter J PauzauskiePhysical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1554-5949
Younjin MinDepartment of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, University of California, Riverside, Riverside, CA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1156-3373
Christopher J MundyPhysical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1378-5241
James J De YoreoPhysical Sciences Division, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Richland, WA, USA. James.DeYoreo@pnnl.gov.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9541-733X

Funding

DOE | SC | Basic Energy Sciences (BES) DE-SC-00021389DOE | SC | Basic Energy Sciences (BES) FWP67554DOE | SC | Basic Energy Sciences (BES) FWP77246
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Ion interactions with charged surfaces are fundamental to electrochemical, geochemical and biological systems, yet the impact of charging on interfacial structure and dynamics is poorly understood. Here we investigate the adsorption and precipitation of multivalent ions on mica using molecularly resolved atomic force microscopy. Although divalent ions form continuous hydroxide monolayers in a manner consistent with classical models, trivalent ions adopt complex states associated with strong overcharging, including ordered ion networks, cluster arrays and microphase-separated films not predicted by those models. Monte Carlo simulations show that such states emerge from charge frustration arising when restrictions on repelling charges prevent the minimization of electrostatic forces. Due to their universal nature across cation types, the results provide general principles underlying charge-driven nanostructure formation and insights for using electric fields to direct materials synthesis.

Identifiers

PMID41588223

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.