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This Perspective compares the attributes of nanoparticles versus microparticles as the active electrode material in lithium-ion batteries. We propose that active material particles used in future batteries should be inherently multiscale to capture the best of both worlds.
Mechanically and chemically induced phase transitions in 2D materials offer access to new properties, opening up paths towards future applications. This Review summarizes the theoretical models and experimental processes for inducing phase transformations in 2D materials, especially graphene to 2D diamond, and examines the associated applications.
Architected materials are a class of materials with structures intermediate in scale between atomic arrangement and bulk dimensions; this additional degree of freedom enables unique properties and functionalities. This Review describes the state of the art in architected materials that are responsive to various stimuli.
Engineers have long sought to fabricate vascular networks to deliver oxygen and nutrients within engineered human tissues for regenerative medicine applications. This Review highlights how materials advances have enabled the development of vascular engineering approaches driven by both technology and nature.
2D materials hold promise as inks for printed technologies. This Review discusses ink formulation processes, from materials selection and deposition techniques to applications, and the perspectives for the commercialization of printed devices.
Flexible self-charging power sources harvest energy from the ambient environment and simultaneously charge energy-storage devices. This Review discusses different kinds of available energy devices, power management strategies and applications of power-source integration in soft electronics.
Defects have a key role in determining the functionality of solids and can make them powerful catalysts. This Review examines defect chemistry in metal oxides and discusses the role that charged defects and polarons have in enabling photoelectrochemical reactions.
2D semiconductor heterostructures host tightly bound exciton states that interact strongly with light. This Review discusses two approaches for realizing emergent excitonic physics in these systems: the introduction of a moiré superlattice and the formation of an optical cavity.
Memristors are devices that possess materials-level complex dynamics that can be used for computing, such that each memristor can functionally replace elaborate digital circuits. This Review surveys novel material properties that enable complex dynamics and new computing architectures that offer dramatically greater computing efficiency than conventional computers.
Ferroelectric HfO2 and related materials are promising for device applications, given that non-ferroelectric HfO2 is already used for applications at the industrial scale, is CMOS-compatible and is robust to degradation. This Review summarizes the properties and origin of ferroelectricity in HfO2-based materials and surveys their potential applications.
Only in recent years has the Hall effect been predicted and observed in materials with antiferromagnetic order. This Review systematically organizes the current understanding of anomalous antiferromagnetic materials that generate a Hall effect, discussing these systems in the broad context of spintronics, topological condensed matter and multipole magnetism.
Multicaloric cooling promises environmentally friendly and high-efficiency refrigeration. In this Review, the authors discuss emerging multicaloric materials and their physics involving coexisting ferroic order parameters, examine key factors that govern the overall system efficiency of potential multicaloric devices and envision future applications.
Wearable devices can sense physiological signals on the surface of the human body. This Review discusses the design, sensing mechanisms and fabrication of wearable devices that can probe deep-tissue signals, beyond the skin, to provide information about human health and disease.
Crystalline silicon solar cells are today’s main photovoltaic technology, enabling the production of electricity with minimal carbon emissions and at an unprecedented low cost. This Review discusses the recent evolution of this technology, the present status of research and industrial development, and the near-future perspectives.
Methane, as a replacement for crude oil, can be converted into valuable chemicals through photocatalysis. This Review discusses the design of promising photocatalytic systems and strategies to understand their reaction mechanisms and outlines the most pressing questions still facing the field.
Inflammation plays a central role in our body’s response to injury or infection. If dysregulated, inflammatory responses can lead to chronic inflammation and the development of inflammatory diseases. This Review discusses biomaterials-based anti-inflammatory therapies, including scavenging, blockage and drug delivery strategies.
Layered oxide compounds with anion redox are among the most promising positive electrode materials for next-generation Li-ion batteries. In this Review, we discuss the thermodynamics and kinetics of the proposed redox mechanisms, and the implications of these mechanisms for designing engineering strategies to achieve stable anion redox.
Trained immunity is a form of nonspecific immune memory, harboured within the innate immune system. This Review discusses nanomedicine platforms to therapeutically regulate trained immunity for the treatment of various conditions, including cancer, inflammation and infection.
Polymer materials that can reorganize over time or under specific conditions have enormous advantages over static polymer networks. This Review discusses the many classes of molecular bonding motifs used to introduce dynamicity to polymer materials and outlines the design rules for engineering the interaction timescales for desired applications.
The ability to control interlayer excitons in van der Waals heterostructures provides a practical way to address the spin and valley degrees of freedom in solid-state devices. This Review surveys the recent progress in this field, with a focus on devices and engineering techniques.
