Reviews & Analysis

Since the most advanced nodes in silicon are reaching the limits of planar integration, 2D materials could help to advance the semiconductor industry. With the potential for use in multifunctional chips, 2D materials offer combined logic, memory and sensing in integrated 3D chips.

This Review summarizes latest advancements in memristor-based hardware accelerators, an energy-efficient solution for computing-intensive artificial intelligence algorithms, covering crossbar arrays, peripheral circuits, architectures and software–hardware co-designs. It analyses challenges and pathways for the transition of memristor technology to commercial products.

Rational and scientific use of hyperspectral imaging involves the selection of appropriate imaging hardware and data analysis software. Sun et al. describe applications of hyperspectral imaging in food quality inspection and provide guidance for non-specialist researchers aiming to implement this technology.

This Review discusses the current capabilities and challenges facing different power electronic technologies in wind generation systems from single turbines to the system level. Several projects are reviewed to highlight areas of current research focus, and future trends of wind power generation are summarized.

Blockchain technology can be integrated into mobile multi-robot systems. This Perspective overviews the initial achievements, open challenges and research directions in the field of blockchain-based mobile multi-robot systems.

Nature evolves intricate surfaces/interfaces to achieve high energy efficiency, providing a promising, low-carbon solution to energy crisis. This Review explores diverse energy processes in nature and how to translate nature’s inspiration to efficiently harvest energy from water, sunlight, heat and their hybrids, especially through interfacial engineering.

Two-dimensional MXenes have emerged as state-of-the-art functional electromagnetic interference shielding materials in multispectral electromagnetic bands. Highly conductive and ultrathin films of MXenes can efficiently block electromagnetic waves from radiofrequency and gigahertz-range microwaves to terahertz or infrared-frequency waves.

The rapid development of on-body sensors and multimodal artificial intelligence is accelerating the emergence of the human body digital twin (DT) as an interdisciplinary research topic. This Perspective outlines a roadmap for applications of human body DTs in health monitoring, disease prevention and treatment.

Chirality fundamentally determines the electrical properties of CNTs and is therefore critical for the performance of CNT electronics. This Review summarizes approaches in controlling the global chirality distribution and local chirality junctions and discusses the progress in CNT electronics.

Increase in clinical digital data is propelling the development and application of artificial intelligence methods in histopathology. In this Review, machine learning algorithms and models and their clinical use cases are discussed, highlighting the computational and operational challenges in the field.

The increasing integration of renewable energy technologies into power systems poses challenges owing to the large uncertainties associated with renewable energy production. This Review investigates the ability of artificial intelligence-based methods to improve forecasts, dispatch, control and electricity markets in renewable power systems.

Block copolymer self-assembly provides sub-10-nm periodic nanopatterned structures to fabricate Internet of Things (IoT) hardware components with a cost-effective, large-area approach. This Perspective focuses on how nanostructuring can improve the performance and introduce versatile functionalities to IoT components.

Germanium telluride (GeTe)-based compounds are very promising thermoelectric materials for mid-to-high-temperature applications. This Review summarizes the latest advances in GeTe-based thermoelectrics and discusses challenges and prospects for GeTe thermoelectrics and their modules, highlighting future research directions.

Efficient storage of electrical energy is mandatory for the effective transition to electric transport. Metal electrodes — characterized by large specific and volumetric capacities — can enable the next generation of high-energy-density rechargeable batteries. This Review highlights advances and challenges in the field and evaluates future applications.

Emerging memory electronics is leading to exciting possibilities for radiofrequency switching, which could be important for meeting the requirements of modern communication systems. This Review outlines current RF switch technologies, proposes 2D memristors, and discusses their potential applications.

The sustainable integration of electric vehicles into power systems rests upon advances in battery technology, charging infrastructures, power grids and their interaction with the renewables. This Review provides a forward-looking road map and discusses the requirements to address these aspects.

Data-intensive and computation-intensive artificial intelligence (AI) workloads require fast and efficient AI hardware accelerators. This Review surveys emerging high-speed memory technologies with the potential to be used as global buffer memories in digital systolic-array architectures.

Increasing grid penetration of renewables coupled with intensifying climate extremes under climate change presents superimposed risks to future power systems. This Perspective analyses the critical factors influencing the resilience of renewable power systems under climate risks and proposes climate-resilient solutions towards a net-zero future.