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Exploiting the interplay between entropic and enthalpic contributions in block copolymer–nanoparticle blends permits construction of composites with specified structures. Disassembly can then provide well-defined structural units as building blocks for future applications.
Entanglement of interpenetrating metal–organic frameworks has been considered a drawback to porosity. However, the pore size of these structures can be controlled through framework dynamics to achieve selectivity and increased binding of ions and gases.
Despite great expectations, artificial cartilage constructs still represent a challenge for tissue engineers. A three-dimensional fibre–hydrogel material provides a breathrough in the design of scaffolds with mechanical properties that match those of native cartilage.
Over the past two decades, the optical recording industry has empirically improved the properties of phase-change materials for rewritable discs. Now a first step has been taken to use computational design to improve these materials.
Soft matter has the remarkable ability to respond to stimuli in a variety of ways. Not only does this enable its application to existing scientific problems, but it also allows previously unimagined technological directions to be explored.
A close look at the mechanism by which benzene starts to polymerize under pressure leads to a new way of understanding and eventually manipulating the synthesis of new carbon-based solids.
Contrary to bulk materials, high-resolution microscopy of ultra-thin ferroelectric films finds only a weak coupling of polarization down to unit-cell dimensions. The established theoretical picture can be resurrected by the inclusion of epitaxial strain effects.
The full potential of nanoparticles in imparting new functionalities in polymer nanocomposites remains largely untapped. A widely applicable, two-solvent processing approach provides a hierarchical structure, affording unparalleled composite performance enhancement.
The complete atomic distribution of a binary natural quasicrystal has been achieved by complementing X-ray diffraction patterns with the structure of closely related crystals. The result represents an essential starting point to find the atomic structure of more complex quasicrystals.
