Piezoelectric actuators play a critical role in precision positioning devices; however, materials with high actuation strain and mechanical energy density are rare. Here a composite of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and TiO₂ demonstrates superior performance in these metrics, with the ferroelectric transition driven by Joule heating.

Combining a tungsten disulfide monolayer and a topologically protected bound state in the continuum formed by a one-dimensional photonic crystal, strong light–matter interaction enhancement and large exciton–polariton nonlinearities at room temperature are demonstrated.

Photopolymerizable hydrogels enable optical clearance and high homogeneous expansion for high-resolution optical imaging of cells embedded within degradable hydrogels.

Detailed structures of both solvated corona chains and sub-nanometre crystalline core lattice of polymer-based nanofibres in solution are obtained using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy.

Piezoelectric actuators play a critical role in precision positioning devices; however, materials with high actuation strain and mechanical energy density are rare. Here a composite of poly(vinylidene fluoride) and TiO₂ demonstrates superior performance in these metrics, with the ferroelectric transition driven by Joule heating.

Combining a tungsten disulfide monolayer and a topologically protected bound state in the continuum formed by a one-dimensional photonic crystal, strong light–matter interaction enhancement and large exciton–polariton nonlinearities at room temperature are demonstrated.

Photopolymerizable hydrogels enable optical clearance and high homogeneous expansion for high-resolution optical imaging of cells embedded within degradable hydrogels.

Detailed structures of both solvated corona chains and sub-nanometre crystalline core lattice of polymer-based nanofibres in solution are obtained using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy.

Superionic materials are of interest for solid-state batteries or thermoelectrics, yet a clear understanding of the atomistic mechanisms is lacking. Here it is shown that transverse acoustic phonons persist above the superionic transition in argyrodite Ag₈SnSe₆, and that the free-Se sublattice controls fast Ag cation diffusion.

The authors report subatomic precision in measuring the displacement of a nanowire. Such precision is achieved by employing deep-learning enabled analysis of single-shot scattering of topologically structured superoscillatory illumination.

The Materials Research Society, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, has long been a central hub for the materials community.

Ferroelectrics have already impacted scientific research and commercial applications, but they still show plenty of potential to surprise.

Increasing chemical complexity expands the design space and drives the coupling of materials science and computational techniques.

A measure of the impact of scientific papers indicates that they are on average becoming less disruptive — this could reflect changes in the scientific community.

Click chemistry and bioorthogonal chemistry have finally been recognized with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.