Reviews & Analysis

The properties and applications of biomacromolecules, for example proteins, can be enhanced by the covalent attachment of synthetic polymers. This Review discusses the modification of these biomacromolecules with stimuli-responsive polymers.

This Review discusses the common structural motifs of a range of natural materials and the difficulties associated with mimicking these designs in the fabrication of synthetic structures with enhanced mechanical properties.

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) have great potential for regenerative medicine, yet producing billions of hPSCs suitable for clinical use needs defined culture conditions and scalable culture systems. This Review discusses the role of high-throughput materials discovery in the development of scalable growth substrates for hPSC culture.

Inherent properties of materials, such as their adhesiveness to cells, nanotopography, stiffness, degradability or chemical functionality, can influence the fate of stem cells. This Review discusses recent evidence of how inherent material properties can be engineered to regulate stem cell decisions, as well as of signal-transduction mechanisms that convert material stimuli into biochemical signals.

Stem cells respond to nanoscale cues from the extracellular matrix or culture substrates by altering cell adhesion, which can in turn define their fate. This Review discusses how stem cell adhesion and differentiation are influenced by surface nanotopography, with a particular focus on integrin–matrix interactions and cell-adhesion-mediated signalling processes.

Strategies to increase light-trapping in solar cells can significantly improve the power-conversion efficiency of these devices. This Review discusses the use of nanostructured high-index layers to manipulate photons in thin-film solar cells, as well as the recent efforts aimed at integrating such layers in large-area devices.

At present, magneto-, electro- and mechanocaloric effects are intensely investigated as the basis for possible cooling applications. This Review discusses and compares the three effects from both a fundamental and an applied perspective, with an emphasis on the experimental methods used to measure them.

Metamaterials are artificially fabricated materials that allow for the control of light and acoustic waves in a manner that is not possible in nature. This Review covers the recent developments in the study of so-called metasurfaces, which offer the possibility of controlling light with ultrathin, planar optical components.

Alongside their beneficial effects within the innate immune system, macrophages can also play a detrimental role in some disease settings. This Review discusses the range of nanoparticles that are known to target macrophages and hence, are able to act as imaging agents in cancer, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, aortic aneurysm, diabetes and other inflammatory conditions.