Acknowledgements. The authors thank the support of the project “Innovative Tools to Treat and Model Complex Cancer Environments” (TheraTools, Ref. 101073404) from the HORIZON-MSCA-2021-DN-01 call (Doctoral Networks - Joint Doctorates modality) of the research and innovation programme of Horizon Europe 2021 under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie actions.

The rapid development of Internet of Things and artificial intelligence leads to a surge in the demand for wearable electronics in the fields of medical diagnosis, healthcare, intelligent control, and human–machine interface. Owing to excellent piezoelectric and dielectric properties of ferroelectric fluoropolymers, the composites consisting of ferroelectric polymers and MXene have shown promising

The development of flexible thermoelectric devices (F-TEDs) has significantly improved their thermoelectric performance and unique flexibility, with increasing efforts directed toward standardization and commercialization. Among the various types of F-TEDs, those incorporating all-inorganic bulk materials are more practical and broadly applicable due to the superior thermoelectric performance of these

Electrorheological (ER) materials have attracted considerable attention over the decades, owning to their unique ability to rapidly change their rheological properties upon exposure to an electric field. Such feature enables these materials in numerous applications. This paper reviews the general aspects of electrorheological fluids (ERFs), and introduces the most often used ER materials. Liquid carriers

Supercapacitors and batteries play crucial roles in sustainable energy storage devices. Layered double hydroxide (LDH) exhibits outstanding adaptability to various electrochemical environments. However, poor electrical conductivity, limited electrochemical activity, and insufficient stability limits the application of LDH. Overcoming these obstacles is essential to fully exploit its potential in large-scale

Responsive soft materials, with unique advantages of light weight, flexibility and large deformation upon activation, have attracted extensive attention in the fields of aerospace engineering, soft robots and human–computer interaction. Electrothermal activation, enabled by the integration of engineered electrical heaters, is emerging as a new dimension in the design of novel functionalities for devices

Solar-driven seawater desalination has received massive attention as it holds great promise to solve the worldwide freshwater and energy issues. The key of this technology relies on the exploitation of broad-spectrum solar absorbers and the construction of evaporators with high-efficient thermal management. Among all the available solar absorbers, photothermal fabrics stand out with conspicuous properties

Thermoelectric materials are functional materials that utilize the movements of charge carriers to achieve the direct interconversions between heat and electricity. Recently, high-performance thermoelectric materials and multifunctional devices have witnessed explosive progresses to alleviate energy burdens. As the energy consumption in buildings continues to increase, the integration of thermoelectric

The targeted removal of efficient but toxic corrosion inhibitors based on hexavalent chromium has provided an impetus for discovery of new, more benign organic compounds to fill that role. Developments in high-throughput synthesis of organic compounds, the establishment of large libraries of available chemicals, accelerated corrosion inhibition testing technologies, the increased capabilities of machine

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Extracellular matrices (ECMs) are foundational to all biological systems and naturally evolved as an intersection between living systems and active materials. Despite extensive study, research on ECMs often overlooks their structural material complexity and systemic roles. This Perspective argues for a holistic examination of ECMs from a materials science viewpoint, emphasizing their highly variable

The development of advanced electronic devices is contingent upon sustainable material development and pioneering research breakthroughs. Traditional semiconductor-based electronic technology faces constraints in material thickness scaling and energy efficiency. Atomically thin two-dimensional (2D) transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation nanoelectronics

As one type of promising electrochemical technologies, high temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cells (HT-PEMFCs) have been widely recognized as the next-generation fuel cell technology for clean energy conversion due to their superiorities of fast electrochemical kinetics, simplified water management, good tolerance to feeding gas contaminants, low emission and high efficiency of energy conversion

The unique structural features of high entropy oxides (HEOs) offer opportunities for flexible and precise structure control, thereby fostering a broad spectrum of structure–property tuning. This review surveys the extensive research carried out on HEOs, from initial exploration to recent advancement, summarizing progress in the refinement of synthesis techniques, elucidation of the high entropy effect

Magnesium (Mg)-based materials exhibit higher hydrogen-storage density among solid-state hydrogen-storage materials (HSMs). Highly reliable hydrolysis can be achieved using them for hydrogen production. They can also achieve the integration of hydrogen production and storage via the regeneration. Furthermore, rechargeable magnesium batteries (RMBs), which possess desirable qualities that exhibit immense

Ultrasound (US) is a technology that utilizes sound waves above 20 kHz and has extensive applications in medical imaging and therapy. Sonodynamic Therapy (SDT) uses low-intensity US to locally activate sono-responsive molecules or nanomaterials (the sonosensitizer), inducing the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the biological microenvironment, and triggering a biological response. As

The worldwide request for clean water and renewable energy is growing rapidly due to the rising population, changing ways of life, expanding economies, and increased utilization of natural resources. One way researchers from multiple disciplines are striving to meet these demands is to develop a direct solar steam generation (DSSG) system providing steam interrelated with the water-energy conversion

Clean energy, water, and air are all critical to the sustainable development of humanity. Electrospun nanofibers, including nanofibrous membranes, have attracted enormous interest for energy and environmental applications, whether for energy generation and storage, or separation and purification. Electrospun polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF)-based nanofibers, in particular, have been extensively studied

Tumor metastasis, responsible for the majority of cancer-related mortality, represents a critical challenge to effective treatment. Despite the deployment of various therapeutic strategies, difficulties remain due to tumor heterogeneity and the complexity of the biological microenvironment. Functional nanomaterials possess unique acoustic, optical, electromagnetic, and thermal properties, playing critical

Functional porous carbon materials are at the forefront of current research due to their exceptional properties, making them highly sought after for various applications, including energy storage/conversion, sensing, adsorption, and catalysis. One crucial factor in producing carbon materials with specific uses and optimized functions is the selection of appropriate carbon precursors. Covalent organic

Aortic dissection continues to be responsible for significant morbidity and mortality, although recent advances in medical data assimilation and in experimental and in silico models have improved our understanding of the initiation and progression of the accumulation of blood within the aortic wall. Hence, there remains a pressing necessity for innovative and enhanced models to more accurately characterize

Color is a property directly discernible by our eyes, making it perceptually conspicuous. Changes in color, whether achromatic (from white to black) or chromatic (from colorless to colored or between different colors), are easily detectable by people with normal vision or through simple spectrophotometric instruments. The categorization of chromogenic systems reveals various mechanisms of chromism

Thermal conductivity is critical to the stable operation, service life and reliability of electronic equipment. Solving thermal management problems in electronic devices requires the development of composites with high thermal conductivity. The interface between the filler and the matrix is formed due to the addition of the thermal conductive filler. The presence of interfaces greatly affects the heat

Shape memory alloys (SMAs) have been widely employed in many engineering fields due to their unique functional properties, such as super-elasticity, elastocaloric effect, and shape memory effect. Besides the experimental observation, the phase field approach is a mainstream and significant research tool and has played an increasingly prominent role in predicting the functional properties and fracture

The physics of alloy solidification during additive manufacturing (AM) in methods such as laser powder bed fusion (LPBF), electron beam powder bed fusion (EPBF), and laser directed energy deposition (LDED) is distinct due to the combination of (a) the rapid solidification conditions that often prevail in AM, (b) adjoining scan tracks that result in the overlap of the adjacent melt pools, and (c) layer-wise

Polymer composites have progressively found applications in sectors such as automotive, aerospace and energy storage. Their high performance can be mainly attributed to their compositions (e.g. the types of fillers and matrices) and structures (e.g. the orientation and dimension of fillers). Filler orientation has long been a crucial subject for the composite community. While the emerging discontinuous

Corrosion is a serious problem, which reduces the efficiency and lifespan of various technologies, such as thermal power plants, aviation, nuclear reactors, etc. It starts from the interactions of corrosive species with alloys to various subsequent processes, such as oxide-formation, growth, and delamination, void and crevices-formation, etc., which all have different lengths and time-spans. Resolving

Fluid manipulation behavior is crucial for the survival of various living organisms and industrial applications. However, traditional techniques are no longer sufficient due to advancements in technology and increasing demands of modern life and industry. To enhance flexibility and practicality, scientists have explored the use of external conditions and stimuli to achieve intelligent control over

Zinc-air batteries (ZABs) hold immense promise for energy storage due to their potential advantages over existing technologies in terms of electrochemical performance, cost, and safety. Nevertheless, the commercialization of ZABs is still limited by the slow cathode reaction, especially the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) during discharge and the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) during charging. In

In Additive Manufacturing (AM), parts are normally fabricated along the direction perpendicular to the build plate. However, the main axis of the part may differ from this direction, leading to the concept of “build orientation” that is an essential aspect in Design for AM (DfAM). Build orientation defines the required support structures, that in turn affects build time, material waste, and part’s

Stimuli-responsive hydrogels are smart three-dimensional materials containing a huge amount of water, which can respond to different stimuli. Typical polymeric hydrogels can be designed for a range of stimuli at low cost. However, polymeric hydrogels are less capable of sensing specific biological stimuli or biomolecules owing to the lack of specificity, which led to emerging hydrogels using proteins

The typical strength of wood makes it suitable as a structural material. Under load, natural wood exhibits a small strain within the elastic range. Such elasticity is associated with fast recovery materials, which hold relevance to applications that include piezoelectric sensors and actuators, bionic systems, soft robots and artificial muscles. Any progress to advance such advanced functions requires

Covalent triazine frameworks (CTFs) are an innovative type of porous organic material (POP) that has distinctive features, such as an aromatic CN linkages (triazine unit) with the lack of any sort of weaker bonding. Specifically, the strong aromatic covalent bond provide CTFs with a substantial degree of chemical stability and a significant amount of nitrogen, making them valuable for several functional

Solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs) are recognized as highly efficient energy-conversion and eco-friendliness technologies. However, the high-temperature operation of conventional SOFCs at 800–1000 °C has hindered their practical applications due to the accelerated materials degradation and the resulting performance failures. Therefore, developing lower-temperature SOFCs (LT-SOFCs) seems necessary. With

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have gained significant attention. MXenes, a member of 2D materials have shown promising properties for various applications. Partial oxidation has emerged as a strategy to enhance the performance of MXenes. This review article thoroughly discussed the mechanism, advantages/disadvantages, and energy storage applications of partially oxidized MXenes. Further the review

Wound healing is a complex biological process that, when impaired, can lead to the formation of scars. Electrospun nanofibrous wound dressings have emerged as a promising option for promoting scar-free wound healing. This paper explores the complex role of physical, compositional, and chemical cues, each contributing to the remarkable healing potential of these wound dressings. The physical properties

Electrolyte composition strongly affects the performance of Li-ion batteries in terms of their general electrochemical properties, electrode stability, cycle life, long-term stability (especially at elevated temperatures), and safety. Additives are essential constituents of efficient electrolyte systems for advanced batteries. Their nature and chemical identity are highly diverse, and their modes of

High-temperature oxidation can precipitate chemical and mechanical degradations in materials, potentially leading to catastrophic failures. Thus, understanding the mechanisms behind high-temperature oxidation and enhancing the oxidation resistance of thermal structural materials are endeavors of significant technical and economic value. Addressing these challenges often involves dissecting phenomena

Phototherapy, referring to photodynamic/photothermal therapy, has been extensively validated to promote enhanced immunotherapeutic effects by stimulating tumor cell immunogenic death. Photoimmunotherapy has been persistently investigated to establish potent antitumor effects against primary and distant tumors, synchronously eliciting powerful immunological memory effects, thus ultimately preventing

Piezoelectric polymers hold great promise in flexible electromechanical conversion devices. The conventional view is that the piezoelectric phase of these polymers is dominated by a polar crystal phase. Guided by this understanding, enormous effort has been dedicated to enhancing piezoelectric performance via mediating the proportion or orientation of polar crystal. However, theoretical and experimental

Extreme fast charging (XFC) is one of the most direct means to improve the competitiveness of electric vehicles (EVs) against gasoline vehicles in terms of mileage covered per unit of time (including time to replenish power source). Solid-state batteries (SSBs) with high energy density are more capable of addressing the challenges of range anxiety and XFC safety than traditional lithium-ion batteries

Deep eutectic solvents (DESs), renowned for their cost-effectiveness and eco-friendliness, have attracted widespread attention in the field of energy storage, especially for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). By virtue of its environmental adaptability, superior safety, and effortless production with low cost, it provides the possibility to alleviate the notorious safety issues associated with LIBs, as

All-solid-state metal–oxygen batteries are considered promising for next-generation energy storage applications owing to their superior theoretical capacity, energy density, and safety. In this review, we cover the latest advances in the development of solid-state Li-O and Na-O batteries. First, we summarize the problems associated with liquid-based Li-O and Na-O batteries. We then discuss the reaction

Bismuth ferrite-barium titanate (BF-BT) ceramics show promise for high-temperature device applications, potentially supplanting lead-based counterparts. Recent studies have focused on optimizing their functional properties through various synthesis methods, including sol–gel, spark plasma sintering, and microwave sintering, to tailor their microstructure and enhance the overall performance for various

Platinum (Pt)-based nanoparticles (NPs) are widely used in many catalytic reactions benefiting from their inherent electronic surface properties. However, due to their high surface energy, they easily agglomerate and grow in size in catalytic reactions, resulting in significantly decreasing catalytic performance. To address this problem, encapsulating Pt-based NPs in porous materials to form core–shell

This review paper comprehensively examines the dynamic landscape of 3D printing and Machine Learning utilizing biodegradable polymers and their composites, presenting a panoramic synthesis of research developments, technological achievements, and emerging applications. By investigating a multitude of biodegradable polymer types, the review paper delineates their suitability and compatibility with diverse

Lubrication is everywhere in the body and essential for the correct operation of biological systems when subjected to contact stress and wear. The body is like a continuously operating life machine. Friction and energy consumption throughout the body would increase dramatically without lubrication, causing physical damage, accelerating senescence and even endangering life. Therefore, it is vital to