Journal: Nature Reviews Materials

Abbreviation

Nat Rev Mater

Publisher

Nature

Journal Volumes

ISSN

2058-8437

Description

Filters

2016 - 201952020 - 202616
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Publications1 - 10 of 21
  • Ferroelectric negative capacitance
    Item type: Review Article
    Iniguez, Jorge; Zubko, Pavlo; Luk'yanchuk, Igor; et al. (2019)
    Nature Reviews Materials
  • Synergistic integration of materials in medical microrobots for advanced imaging and actuation
    Item type: Review Article
    Wrede, Paul; Remlova, Eva; Chen, Yi; et al. (2025)
    Nature Reviews Materials
    Medical microrobotics capitalizes on smart materials to target specific body sites effectively, precisely and locally, thus holding promise to revolutionize precision medicine in the future. Advances in material science and microfabrication or nanofabrication techniques have facilitated the implementation of a myriad of functionalities into microrobots. Efficient navigation and monitoring of microrobots within the highly dynamic and often inaccessible environment of living mammalian tissues is paramount for their effective in vivo applications and eventual clinical translation. This need calls for the deployment of biomedical imaging modalities with adequate sensitivity, penetration depth and spatiotemporal resolution, as well as for efficient integration of biocompatible contrast materials into microrobots. In this Review, we discuss emerging approaches for multiplexed imaging and actuation of microrobots within complex biological environments, focusing on the synergistic combination of responsive and contrasting materials to achieve desired morphological and functional properties, in vivo visibility and biosafety. The convergence between microrobotics and biomedical imaging paves the way for a new generation of medical microrobots enabling the use of energy for both mechanical actuation and efficient monitoring of their activity in vivo.
  • The evolution of multiferroics
    Item type: Review Article
    Fiebig, Manfred; Lottermoser, Thomas; Meier, Dennis; et al. (2016)
    Nature Reviews Materials
  • Multiferroics: from the cosmically large to the subatomically small
    Item type: Other Journal Item
    Spaldin, Nicola (2017)
    Nature Reviews Materials
  • Sexism in academia is bad for science and a waste of public funding
    Item type: Other Journal Item
    Boivin, Nicole; Täuber, Susanne; Beisiegel, Ulrike; et al. (2023)
    Nature Reviews Materials
    Higher education and research institutions are critical to the well-being and success of societies, meaning their financial support is strongly in the public interest. At the same time, value-for-money principles demand that such investment delivers. Unfortunately, these principles are currently violated by one of the biggest sources of public funding inefficiency: sexism.
  • Designing supramolecular catalytic systems for mammalian synthetic metabolism
    Item type: Review Article
    Han, Jingjing; Fussenegger, Martin (2025)
    Nature Reviews Materials
    Synthetic biology aims to use interchangeable and independent components to develop specialized systems within cellular and cell-free environments to reconfigure natural genetic systems and create innovative tools for biomedicine and industry. Supramolecular nanocatalysts, which use various mechanisms to enhance catalytic reactions, are being explored as components of synthetic gene circuits to optimize metabolic pathways. In this Review, we discuss progress in the incorporation of supramolecular nanocatalysts into cellular systems. We focus on their design, the types of interactions that serve to maintain their supramolecular structure and especially their integration into mammalian cells, as exemplified by actual and potential applications for energy production, energy conversion and novel therapeutics. We also discuss the interactions between supramolecular nanocatalysts and cellular components in metabolic processes and the potential of such combined systems to underpin future breakthroughs in biotechnology and medicine.
  • Atomic force microscopy-based characterization and design of biointerfaces
    Item type: Review Article
    Alsteens, David; Gaub, Hermann E.; Newton, Richard; et al. (2017)
    Nature Reviews Materials
  • Atomically precise control in the design of low-nuclearity supported metal catalysts
    Item type: Review Article
    Mitchell, Sharon; Pérez-Ramírez, Javier (2021)
    Nature Reviews Materials
    Nanostructured catalysts incorporating supported metal atoms or small clusters of defined size and chemical composition attract considerable attention because of their potential to maximize resource efficiency. When optimally assembled, all the metal nuclei can participate in the catalytic cycle with properties tailored to deliver high specific activity and stable performance. Over the past decade, both the number and diversity of reported systems have exploded as researchers attempted to control the nanostructure with increasing atomic precision. Nonetheless, spatially resolving the architecture and properties of supported low-nuclearity catalysts using existing analytical methods remains challenging. After identifying general structural features of this advanced family of catalytic materials, including their composition, nuclearity, coordination environment and location, as well as dynamic effects in reactive environments, this Review critically examines progress in their control and understanding. State-of-the-art experimental and theoretical approaches for their characterization are explored, addressing strengths and limitations through recent case studies. Finally, we outline directions for future work that will cross frontiers in the design of catalytic materials, which will be indispensable for developing high-performing new architectures for sustainable technologies.
  • Soft actuators for real-world applications
    Item type: Review Article
    Li, Meng; Pal, Aniket; Aghakhani, Amirreza; et al. (2022)
    Nature Reviews Materials
    Inspired by physically adaptive, agile, reconfigurable and multifunctional soft-bodied animals and human muscles, soft actuators have been developed for a variety of applications, including soft grippers, artificial muscles, wearables, haptic devices and medical devices. However, the complex performance of biological systems cannot yet be fully replicated in synthetic designs. In this Review, we discuss new materials and structural designs for the engineering of soft actuators with physical intelligence and advanced properties, such as adaptability, multimodal locomotion, self-healing and multi-responsiveness. We examine how performance can be improved and multifunctionality implemented by using programmable soft materials, and highlight important real-world applications of soft actuators. Finally, we discuss the challenges and opportunities for next-generation soft actuators, including physical intelligence, adaptability, manufacturing scalability and reproducibility, extended lifetime and end-of-life strategies.
  • Terahertz control of many-body dynamics in quantum materials
    Item type: Review Article
    Yang, Chia-Jung; Li, Jingwen; Fiebig, Manfred; et al. (2023)
    Nature Reviews Materials
    Quantum-mechanical phenomena underpin the behaviour of quantum materials at the microscopic level. The description of several essential properties of these materials surpasses the generic treatment of electrons as classical non-interacting entities. Owing to the many-body nature of quantum materials, a microscopic understanding of the interactions dictating their ground state is indispensable for acquiring control over their dynamics. Non-equilibrium measurements can characterize such interactions both in time and in space, and the temporal evolution of the relaxation processes after excitation sheds light on the underlying correlations among charge, spin, orbital and lattice degrees of freedom. The energy scales of these interactions fall within the terahertz (THz) range, making THz radiation not only an effective probe but also an ideal tool for non-equilibrium perturbation, and perhaps a future tool for manipulation. In this Review, we survey how THz light has been used to drive quantum materials out of equilibrium and to retrieve information on the associated correlation processes and many-body dynamics. In particular, we show how THz light can induce superconducting-like features in layered superconductors and drive quasiparticles in heavy-fermion systems out of equilibrium. We also provide several examples of phase transitions driven dynamically by pumping correlated systems using THz light.
Publications1 - 10 of 21