Interfacial engineering has been commonly used as an effective strategy to enhance device performance and stability of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). However, most of the materials used for interface engineering are based on organics, which may have concerns for the device's long-term stability. Therefore, we developed robust fluoro-terminated TiO2 nanosheets (F-TiO2 NSs) to work as interlayers between

The COVID-19 pandemic taught us the importance of having scientists in public health policymaking. As with the pandemic, humanity faces another crisis at a greater scale: global climate change. Here, two carbontech researchers and Forbes 30 Under 30 honorees reflect on their unique paths toward influencing sustainable policies in government and international organizations. They reason that science

The requirement for materials that can bend is proliferating with the growing interest in flexible electronics and devices. The terms bending and flexing are often used interchangeably even though flexing is usually meant to be elastic while bending often involves plastic deformation. Materials can be compared with a simple “bendability figure-of-merit” through the fracture strain—that is, how much

The lexicon of material properties is constantly evolving. Some behaviors can assume accepted meaning and practical usage, depending on the current needs of the research community. In this issue of Matter, Peng, Grayson, and Snyder propose a figure of merit for bendability, for comparing the flexural limit state of materials.

A small seed can make a big difference in two-dimensional (2D) crystal growth. Recently in Science, Xu et al. developed a seed transfected epitaxy growth strategy for synthesizing single-crystalline 2H molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe2) wafers with high quality and electrical performance.

Solutions to many of the world's problems depend upon materials research and development. However, advanced materials can take decades to discover and decades more to fully deploy. Humans and robots have begun to partner to advance science and technology orders of magnitude faster than humans do today through the development and exploitation of closed-loop, autonomous experimentation systems. This

The kitchen is our best home laboratory. Inspired by this, we launched Kitchen Matters, a new outreach program that uses home cooking experiments to explore materials science. After a year of virtual outreach, we reflect on making materials science come alive, even with our audience half a world away.

Although items exhibiting topology are ubiquitous in everyday life, the realization of topology at the nanoscale level relies on innovative synthetic strategies. A molecular weaving strategy, recently reported in Nature Chemistry and Nature by Leigh and co-workers, has outlined the precise synthesis of a molecular 74 knot and a two-dimensional molecular fabric. These breakthroughs hard on the heels

In a recent work published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, the Deng group at the University of Science & Technology of China (USTC) reported the use of butanol to dehydrate gold nanoparticle/DNA reaching a record high DNA density of spherical nucleic acids (SNAs).

Continuously tuning emission color of a single-component organic luminogenic material has great technological implications but is very challenging. In a recent work published in Science Advances, Bao et al. developed a series of single-fluorogen polymers with aggregation-induced emission and tunable emission color via a polymerization-mediated through-space charge transfer process.

Chinese scientists have revealed the secret of compression resistance of cuttlebone, which originates from its unique lamellar-septa-like cellular structure, separated by asymmetric, distorted S-shaped walls. They demonstrate the possibility of using 3D printing to engineer high-performance bioinspired cellular materials that are beyond the capabilities of conventional mechanical metamaterials.

Synthetic charged proteins and counterionic surfactants were assembled into organofibers with extraordinary mechanical properties to promote bone-derived mesenchymal stem cell osteogenesis differentiation.

Zhao et al. employed operando X-ray absorption spectroscopy to examine the structural change of Ni0.5Co0.5-MOF-74 during electrochemical water oxidation. Ni and Co metal nodes undergo a simultaneous transition from hydroxide to oxyhydroxide analogs as higher anodic potentials are applied.

Topological nanowires, topological materials confined in one dimension, hold great promise for robust and scalable quantum computing and low-dissipation interconnects, which will transform current computing technologies. To do so, research in topological nanowires must continue to improve their synthesis and properties.

Metal hydrides are known to mediate a number of critical chemical transformations including proton (H+), hydrogen-atom (H•), and hydride (H–) transfer. This preview discusses a recent contribution from Dempsey and co-workers outlining how spectroscopy and electrochemistry can be coupled to disentangle the mechanism of cobalt-hydride formation; loose parallels are drawn between such elementary reactions

Recently, Zhejiang University scientists developed a local “landmine.” They engineered a patch device consisting of microneedle arrays integrated with palladium nanoparticles supported by TiO2 nanosheets to catalyze a local prodrug-into-drug conversion via bio-orthogonal reaction for tumor inhibition. This study provides a novel paradigm for biological application of bio-orthogonal chemistry in local

The standard ab initio approach of modeling defects is prone to missing the correct structures. This can severely affect theoretical predictions of material performance, ranging from photovoltaics to catalysis, highlighting the necessity of an efficient method to assess the defect configurational landscape.

High-throughput experimentation platforms and machine learning have shown preliminary success in materials research acceleration. Recently in Joule, Du, Brabec, and colleagues showed the potential of using a robotic platform to optimize organic photovoltaics (OPV) materials and devices. With a short experimental time of 70 h, it was demonstrated to achieve a power conversion efficiency of 14% and a

Developing multicomponent superlattices (SLs) using lead halide perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) is challenging due to weak ionic bonding and the high ionic mobility of halide ions. Recently, Kovalenko et al. developed multicomponent SLs, including binary cubic SLs, binary perovskite-like SLs, ternary perovskite-like SLs, and columnar binary SLs.

Protecting complex nanostructures from degradation in physiological fluids while preserving their function remains a major limitation toward their implementation in biosensing and drug delivery. Using peptoid oligomers, Gang and coworkers protect DNA origami structures from Mg2+ depletion and enzymatic breakdown.

Smart wound care systems that are capable of analyzing biomarkers in the wound microenvironment and reporting data to healthcare professionals and patients can overcome many of the limitations and challenges associated with chronic wound healing. Lim and colleagues reported a novel multiplexed bioaffinity sensor array that could detect multiple inflammatory and physiological biomarkers in the wound

The mechanism of the O–O bond formation at different electrode potentials remains elusive. Recently, Lang et al. reported their observation on the potential-dependent switch of water oxidation mechanism on heterogeneous Co-based catalysts in neutral electrolyte.

Other than facilitating phase separation that is often the case, large atomic size mismatch may elicit bulk metallic glasses, crystalline line compounds, or solid solution-like single phases of matter with exquisite atomic structures and application-pertinent properties.

Lithium metal anodes are often touted as the “holy grail” in rechargeable battery research; however, they present practical challenges in safety and operation. This preview highlights a novel multilayer sandwich design for solid-state electrolytes that suppresses lithium dendrite penetration and exhibits improved performance, making a critical contribution to the commercialization of solid-state batteries

From cell imaging with precise subcellular localization to the fabrication of low-cost, more efficient optoelectronic devices for room illumination, Dual-State Emitter (DSE) molecules (DSEgens) can be considered as fine-tuned, tailored molecular entities capable of intensely fluorescing both in solution and in the solid state. The synthesis of these new kind of fluorophores requires innovative molecular

Upconversion via triplet-triplet annihilation could efficiently generate ultraviolet light. In a recent work, Harada et al. have doubled the existing visible-to-UV upconversion efficiency and demonstrated a new record using a new triplet annihilator, yielding efficient upconversion using even low-energy LEDs.

Metal halide perovskites have become one of the most studied optoelectronic materials, but their stability remains a grand challenge due to the lack of understanding of the phase transformation process. Recently, scientists at the University of California, Berkeley have devised direct monitoring methods to track the phase transformation process of metal halide perovskites. Their results shed light on

Nanostructuring of bioelectronic interfaces is critical to improve their performance but still remains challenging. Recently, Fang et al. reported the construction of monolithic and porous carbon membranes through monomicelle self-assembly for effective biological modulations.

Solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) can effectively facilitate spatially homogeneous lithium (Li)-ion flux and rapid Li-ion transport, which is significantly critical for long-lifespan Li-metal batteries (LMBs). Recently, Lu et al. report a natural-wood-structured interface as an artificial SEI to prepare high-performance LMBs with a long lifespan.

Dynamic covalent bonds are transitioning into the realm of 3D printing. Smaldone and coworkers highlight the potential for Diels—Alder linkages in cross-linked acrylate resins printed using stereolithography. Their study demonstrates a 99% self-healing efficiency without forfeiting shape stability.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries are appealing owing to their high safety and low cost; however, the low energy density hinders their wide applications. Recently in Nature Communications, Liang and coworkers reported a Zn-I2 battery that enables a reversible four-electron I−/I2/I+ conversion, which exhibits high voltage and capacity, high energy density, and excellent cycling performance.

Cephalopods have inspired the development of many bio-inspired technologies. But how accurately can researchers model the optical features and functions of cephalopod skin without sacrificing speed or design? In ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, Han et al. demonstrate one approach to tackle these challenges.

Propane dehydrogenation has emerged as a promising and booming method for direct propylene production. This preview highlights some recent important works that are moving forward the propane dehydrogenation process toward high performance with excellent propane conversion, propylene selectivity, and durability.

Porous metal-organic framework (MOF) materials can be synthesized with precise spatial control of coordinatively unsaturated Mg2+ sites within the pore interior. Zick and co-workers show how these Mg2+ sites can dictate selective interactions between the MOF-based absorbent and molecules containing C-F bonds.

Bioadaptability, proposed earlier to accentuate the biomaterial-host interactivity, incites the development of adaptable biomaterials. Esser-Kahn et al.3 recently reported a biomaterial that can self-adapt to its mechanical environment as potential bone implants. Such endeavors allow “precise bioadaptability” for fueling precision medicine.

The coupling of a change in bulk magnetism with emergent structural polarization can lead to a material exhibiting multiferroicity. In this preview, we highlight an excellent example of such a phenomenon, whereby a multiferroic metal-organic framework (MOF) features complex chemical properties unlocked by…bitter almonds?

A camera equipped with a bionic hemispherical vision system can extend its capabilities to imitate biological eyes. Researchers report a curvy and shape-adaptive imager with high-pixel fill factors and kirigami design that achieves adaptive optical focusing for both near and far objects with low aberration.

The up-to-date progress of the multifunctional MXene hydrogels for flexible wearable electronics is summarized. The critical challenges and prospects are highlighted for the future developments of MXene hydrogel-based wearable electronic devices with high performance and fascinating multifunctionality for versatile applications.