Reviews & Analysis

Slow, tunable dissociation of non-covalent host–guest complexes confers supramolecular polymer networks with excellent compressive strength and self-recovery.

Dislocations engineered through plastic deformation are shown to enhance quantum fluctuations and superconductivity in SrTiO₃.

A synthetic matrix recapitulates fundamental biological interactions of pancreatic cancer to facilitate the culture of mouse and human pancreatic organoids.

Heterogeneous microscale contacts between molybdenum disulfide and graphene or hexagonal boron nitride layers demonstrate ultralow friction independent of their relative orientation with residual drag that originates from edge effects.

A double-layer borophene — a boron analogue of the double-layer graphene — has been synthesized, expanding the phase space and potential applications of two-dimensional boron.

Integration of memristors in a chain of nano-constriction spintronic oscillators allows for individual control of oscillation frequencies and emerging synchronization patterns. The control of such synchronization could enable learning through association like neurons in the brain.

Ferrimagnets offer the combined advantages of both ferromagnets and antiferromagnets for spintronics applications. This Review surveys recent progress.

This Perspective discusses the interplay between magnetism and topology in condensed matter.

By using a battery of experimental and theoretical methods, it is shown that ion intercalation into the electrode material birnessite is mediated by structural water.

The giant magnetoelastic effect measured in magnetic elastomers enables new energy generators for wearable and implantable electronics.

Coupled liquid-crystalline network oscillators incorporating light-responsive molecules show synchronized motion when stimulated by light. This behaviour resembles that of synchronized clock pendulums and may find uses in advanced soft robotics applications.

The polar magnetic semimetal NdAlSi hosts Weyl fermions that promote helical magnetism, and defines a roadmap for future work on correlated topological matter.

An interplay between deswelling and buckling in a polymer gel is harnessed to achieve sequential snap events for repeatable jumping motion, opening the door to autonomously moving soft robots.

Controlled nanophotonic fabrication in silicon carbide enables the quantum manipulation of nuclear spins with optical and spin coherence comparable to the pristine material, setting the ground for scalable integrated quantum networks.

A functional bioadhesive has been developed to possess properties such as mechanical compliance, electrical conductivity and optical transparency, and is utilized for bonding electronic devices to various organs in the body for up to several months.

Nanoarchitected carbon composed of intricate tube-in-tube beams connected with nanostruts has been fabricated, achieving both ultralightweight and ultrahigh modulus.

A transparent suspension containing colloidal silica is used to additively manufacture three-dimensional structures and photonic devices of silica glass at the nanoscale.

Centimetre-scale crack-free metal nanolattices are realized, enabling outstanding high tensile strength in low-density materials.