Volume 7 Issue 3, March 2022

An article in Nature Communications reports the construction of a material with switchable rigidity and surface lubrication that is inspired by the ability of catfish to evade capture by predators.

An article in Nature Synthesis reports a rapid and scalable strategy to synthesize a range of high-entropy nanoparticles at atmospheric temperature and pressure.

Ferroelectric domain walls hold great potential as multifunctional 2D systems for next-generation nanotechnology. This Review discusses recent advances in the field and new strategies for developing the domain walls into ultra-small electronic components.

The immune response to a vaccine is characterized by a complex time-dependent interplay between various cell types and molecules in different tissues in our body. This Review explores materials-based strategies for the spatial and temporal control of the mechanisms that underlie vaccine immune responses.

Solid-state materials have emerged as a platform for probing and manipulating topological phases of matter. This Review surveys topological materials discovery in nonmagnetic crystalline solids, focusing on the role of crystal symmetry and geometry in topological material predictions.

Solution-processed networks of 2D materials are promising for applications in printed electronics. This Review examines how these networks are often electrically limited by the junctions between nanosheets, a phenomenon rarely reported and poorly understood, and surveys the macroscopic electrical properties of printed 2D networks, with a focus on inter-sheet junctions.

Soft actuators are flexible and compliant and thus perfectly suited to interact with the human body. This Review discusses tethered, untethered and biohybrid soft actuation strategies, highlights promising real-world applications of soft robots and identifies key future challenges, such as implementing physical intelligence and end-of-life strategies.