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The design and manufacture of materials that replicate the form, function, and sustainability of biological solutions remains difficult. Here, key challenges and promising approaches to materials development informed by biology are identified.
High-entropy materials have been realized in a wide number of alloys and ceramics, usually in bulk form. This Perspective discusses the emerging field of two-dimensional high-entropy materials, focusing on their formation, structure and applications.
Lead-based relaxor ferroelectrics are known for their large piezoelectric response, but the relation between the response and the nanoscale structure of these materials is still under debate. In this Perspective, the microscopic implications of the polar nature of disordered relaxor ferroelectrics are critically reviewed.
Electrolytes are a key component of a battery and therefore receive extensive research interest. This Perspective discusses how to ensure that reports of non-aqueous electrolyte solutions for lithium batteries are reliable and can be reproduced by others.
High-entropy materials are defined by the configurational entropy of their bulk phase, yet it is interesting to consider whether grain boundaries can also be “high entropy”. This paper discusses a thermodynamic framework for “high-entropy grain boundaries” and relevant concepts and unique thermodynamic properties.
