Review Articles

Ammonia production from dinitrogen is challenging due to the harsh reaction conditions required and significant energy consumption. Here, this Review discusses how plasmonic materials can offer an energetically and ecologically desirable solution to dinitrogen reduction.

Interest in protein-based fibers is driven by their unique properties, including biocompatibility and biodegradability. This Review summarizes the synthesis and properties of biomimetic protein fibers, such as keratin, collagen, elastin and silk fibers, and their application in energy, air and water treatment, and biomedical uses.

A key aspect of wearable devices used in personal health monitoring are the electrodes that make contact with the skin. This Review discusses how the materials and structure of electrodes used in these devices are vital to their performance, including how altering these factors might optimize their function.

Sulfide-based solid electrolyte films with high room-temperature ionic conductivity will boost the energy density of all-solid-state batteries. This Review covers the preparation methods and properties of sulfide-based composite electrolytes, while guiding future development.

Human breath contains a vast amount of information that might be used to indicate respiratory and cardiovascular health. This Review summarizes and discusses recent advances in wearable breath sensors for monitoring breath temperature, humidity and airflow, as well as biomarker presence.

There is growing interest in biosensors that detect biomarkers in interstitial fluid. This Review provides an overview of recent developments on interstitial fluid biosensors, including device fabrication and sensing mechanisms, and outstanding challenges faced.

Three-dimensional silicon-based lithium-ion microbatteries have potential use in miniaturized electronics that require independent energy storage. Here, their developments are discussed in terms of their material compatibility, cell designs, fabrication methods, and performance in various applications.

Plasmonic nanomaterials, such as nanoparticles, efficiently deliver light to target cells for neuromodulation that is less invasive and has higher spatial resolution than common electrical methods. This review covers recent developments in the use of plasmonics for neuroengineering.

The effect of morphology-focused modifications is often overlooked despite their impact on battery applications. Here, the morphological relationship of ternary layered oxide cathodes to their electrochemical performance is Reviewed, with guidance suggested for their design and commercialization.

Raman spectroscopy is a popular non-destructive characterisation technique, but its application to electroceramics is under-represented compared to other fields. In this review, the latest instrumentational and computational advances are discussed, suggesting key advantages in the study of electroceramics.

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites have found widespread use in critical engineering applications. Here, the use of simulations to understand the mechanical durability of polymer composites across a range of length scales is reviewed, with a focus on molecular dynamics simulations.

Transmembrane signaling systems are present in living cells which receive cues from the environment and produce a cellular response. Here, recent advances in the design of bioinspired systems that mimic transmembrane signaling in synthetic and living cells are reviewed.

There is great interest in commercializing perovskite solar cells, however, the presence of defects and trap states hinder their performance. Here, recent developments in characterization techniques to investigate defects and ion migration in halide perovskites are reviewed.

Aqueous batteries are emerging as a promising alternative to lithium-ion batteries. In this Review, the challenges and recent strategies for various aqueous battery systems are discussed with key factors needing the most improvement highlighted.

Scintillators are materials of great interest for versatile and fast radiation detection systems. This Review discusses recent advances and strategies to improve the light yield, decay time, and coincidence timing resolution of all-inorganic and hybrid organic-inorganic perovskite scintillators.

Integrating perovskite photovoltaics with other systems can substantially improve their performance. This Review discusses various integrated perovskite devices for applications including tandem solar cells, buildings, space applications, energy storage, and cell-driven catalysis.

Lead-based halide perovskite solar cells offer attractive power conversion efficiencies, but the release of lead into the environment is a major concern. Here, lead-free, tin-based perovskites are reviewed as an alternative, with a focus on how to extend their long-term stability.

Graph neural networks are machine learning models that directly access the structural representation of molecules and materials. This Review discusses state-of-the-art architectures and applications of graph neural networks in materials science and chemistry, indicating a possible road-map for their further development.

Inverted perovskite solar cells are promising for real-world energy harvesting, but suffer from issues with environmental stability. This Review discusses current understanding of stability in these devices and recent attempts to improve stability, as well as future directions that might enable their market roll-out.

Stable performance in solar cells is a key requirement for industrial success. Here, stability and degradation of perovskite solar cells are discussed within the context of the International Electrotechnical Commission’s standards for commercialized solar cells.