Volume 20 Issue 8, August 2021

Light-activated protein actuators composed of bioengineered motors and molecular scaffolds achieve millimetre-scale mechanical work, which holds promise for microrobotics applications.

Two-dimensional (2D) metal oxides that can be exfoliated are produced via direct oxidation of their elemental metals, providing a simple and easy way to incorporate these materials in van der Waals heterostructures.

An implantable stent inspired by kirigami has been developed and integrated with a fluidically driven soft actuator to deliver drugs to tubular organs in the body such as the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts.

Large uniaxial strain drives a sequence of topological phase transitions in the quasi-one-dimensional superconductor TaSe₃, paving the way for the reversible control of surface spin currents.

A singlet-triplet hole spin qubit in a Ge quantum well is demonstrated to be fast, coherent, and compatible with operation at magnetic fields below 10 mT, opening the door to integration with superconducting technologies.

Exhaust emissions catalysts can be used for the removal of harmful pollutants. This Review explores synthesis routes and materials for advanced catalysts, and identifies grand challenges for the transformation of pollutants.

Porous materials can selectively and reversibly adsorb large quantities of gas. This Review highlights progress made in using this class of materials for CO₂ capture processes and discusses key gaps that the materials community can address to accelerate greater adoption of adsorptive carbon capture technologies.

A wide range of highly crystalline, two-dimensional layered metal oxides can be formed by controlled oxidation of the metals at the metal–gas interface.

The optically detected magnetic resonance of a single defect in hexagonal boron nitride is reported.

A kirigami-inspired stent-based system has been developed for extended local drug delivery to the gastrointestinal and respiratory tracts as well as the vascular system.

Angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy is used to track the evolution of the electronic band structure of TaSe₃ across a strain-driven topological phase transition.

Raman measurements of twisted bilayer MoS₂ as a function of twist angles, with theoretical support, reveal phonon renormalization in this moiré superlattice.

A singlet-triplet spin qubit using holes in a Ge quantum well is demonstrated, and can be operated at low magnetic fields of a few millitesla.

A general method for the synthesis of high-purity crystals of metastable 1T′-phase transition metal dichalcogenides is reported, providing a source of phase-engineered materials that can be used to systematically explore their intrinsic properties.

Lithium dendrite propagation through ceramic electrolytes can prevent the realization of high-energy-density all-solid-state lithium-anode batteries. The propagation of cracks and lithium dendrites through a solid electrolyte has now been tracked as a function of charge.

Development of efficient yet durable photoelectrodes is of paramount importance for deployment of solar-fuel production. The photoelectrochemically self-improving behaviour of a silicon/gallium nitride photocathode highly efficient for hydrogen production is now reported.

Pseudocapacitors exhibit charge-storage mechanisms leading to high-capacity and rapidly cycling devices. An organic system designed via molecular contortion is now shown to exhibit unprecedented electrochemical performance and stability.

Low-k dielectric materials are essential to allow continued electronics miniaturization, but their low thermal conductivity limits performance. Here, two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks are shown to combine high thermal conductivity with a low dielectric constant.

Patterned contracting networks composed of biomolecular motors and filaments achieve millimetre-scale actuation of mechanical structures with light-triggered molecular stimuli.

It is now revealed, using cell cultures and in silico models, that weakening intercellular contacts is a fundamental process essential for switching from extensile to contractile tissue behaviour.

Suhas Eswarappa Prameela, K. T. Ramesh and Tim Weihs highlight how students and postdocs can develop their competencies and skills during research collaboration.