Volume 7 Issue 12, December 2022

Liquid metals are promising multifunctional materials, but their single-colour physical appearance limits their applicability. There are several methods to endow liquid metals with colour and fluorescence, and although breakthroughs have been made in controlling their optical and interfacial properties, more work is needed to refine the synthetic strategies, better understand the coloration effects and enable the applications of colourful liquid metals.

An article in Advanced Functional Materials reports a dual-functional hydrogel platform that can treat inflammation and promote bone regeneration.

An article in ACS Nano presents a hydrogel with a mushroom-like shape that can block and treat gastrointestinal puncture wounds.

An article in Advanced Functional Materials presents a hydrogel adhesive to treat nerve injuries.

Hydrogels are one of the most promising materials to bridge the stark disparities between traditional machines and biological tissues for successful interfacing between humans and machines. This Review discusses the functional modes, design principles, and current and future applications of hydrogel interfaces for the merging of humans and machines.

Vertical nanoprobes are high-aspect-ratio nanomaterials used to manipulate and interrogate cells with high spatiotemporal resolution and limited perturbation. This Review discusses the design principles to establish effective nanoprobe biointerfaces for drug delivery, intracellular sampling and sensing, biophysical interaction and bioelectronics.

The introduction of topology into acoustic platforms enables robust sound control. This Review discusses the fundamental mechanisms, basic designs, practical realizations and promising future directions for topological acoustic systems.

Data-driven approaches based on high-throughput capabilities and machine learning hold promise in revolutionizing human-centred materials discovery for sustainability and decarbonization. This Review examines the strengths and limitations of different traditional and emerging approaches to demonstrate their inherent connection and highlight the evolving paradigms of materials design.