Section snippets Main textPeer review is a little bit of a contentious topic lately, with the proliferation of journal titles being launched and submissions draining the community of time and effort … with little reward or recognition. What used to be somewhat of a gentleman’s agreement between author and journal has turned into the academic equivalent of arranging deck chairs on the Titanic. At the

Interfacial carrier dynamics are crucial for optoelectronic device performance; however, probing these dynamics at ultrafast and nanoscale levels presents significant challenges. Liao et al. tackled this by employing four-dimensional scanning ultrafast electron microscopy to directly visualize carrier transport across a Si/Ge heterojunction, offering a comprehensive insight into the interfacial dynamics

Developing high-performance scintillators has been restricted by issues like low X-ray absorption and inefficient triplet exciton utilization. Liu et al. in Nature Photonics, proposed a lanthanide-assisted triplet exciton recycling strategy. It facilitates efficient rare-earth organic scintillator design and drives applications in high-resolution radiographic imaging and X-ray-mediated photodynamic

Biocompatible piezoelectrics have attracted growing interest in various biomedical applications recently. Existing biocompatible piezoelectrics are predominantly designed with simple geometry and monotonous functionality, making them insufficient for fulfilling the personalized needs of biological systems. Three-dimensional (3D) printing facilitates the creation of biocompatible piezoelectric metamaterials

Charge transfer at the water-solid interface is key to energy conversion and sensing, yet contact electrification remains unclear. This preview highlights electrostatic breakdown at the liquid-solid-gas interface and strategies to enhance charge storage and energy conversion for self-powered sensing.

Producing high-quality, high-performance, and scalable single-crystalline layered cathodes remains challenging despite their desirability for advanced lithium-ion batteries. Now, Li2O sublimation, observed at 800°C–1000°C in oxygen, facilitates single-crystal growth and segregation, demonstrating excellent cycling stability and offering a scalable, recyclable solution for advanced cathode materials

Section snippets Main textMenon and Fairen-Jimenez investigated guiding the rational design of biocompatible metal-organic frameworks for drug delivery.1 In their computational pipeline workflow for assessment of metal organic framework (MOF) biocompatibility, the second workflow (ii) contains three fatal assumptions. The first is that feature selection is carried out to find the optimum subset of

Section snippets Main textWe appreciate Takefuji’s interest and engagement with our work on the development of a machine learning (ML) guided computational pipeline for assessing metal-organic framework (MOF) biocompatibility.1 We note that Takefuji has published several letters remarking similar concerns across diverse domains, including—but not limited to—materials science, plant science, energy

Porous cages have emerged as highly attractive components for the development of stimuli-responsive smart materials, owing to their well-defined three-dimensional architectures and exceptional host-guest chemistry. Their excellent solubility and processibility facilitate seamless integration into various material forms, including thin films, membranes, and gels. This perspective highlights strategies

Volume changes present a significant challenge for battery electrodes, particularly for alloying anode materials, as they undergo repeated cycling of carriers (e.g., lithium). Buffer-space engineering has emerged as a promising strategy. However, the underlying mechanical, chemical, and electrical interactions of space interfaces remain poorly understood, which is crucial for understanding the failure

(Matter 5, 2190–2208; July 6, 2022)

Section snippets Main textThe recent global pandemic required an abrupt shift in how science was shared globally, for better or for worse. Virtual meetings were the new normal and have persisted (in a more limited context) past the pandemic's prime. There are numerous pros and cons to moving science online, but is it reflective of a larger trend, merely accelerated by pandemic restrictions? Indeed

Human skeletal muscles possess a delicate structure that enables simultaneous sensing and actuation through neuromuscular fiber bundles. However, most current material designs face challenges in integrating these capabilities within a single fiber bundle and instead rely on centralized systems to process signals between separate sensors and actuators. This preview highlights NeuroMuscles, an innovative

Electrochemical nitrate reduction (NO3−RR) is strongly influenced by the interfacial microenvironment. In a recent publication in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, Park et al.1 developed a “hydronium-in-salt” electrolyte that confines hydronium (H3O+) and nitrate (NO3−) ions within the solvation shell of Li+ ions, thereby facilitating the proton-coupled electron transfer from H3O+ to NO3−

Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) exosomes, capable of regulating various biological processes, hold great potential for regenerative therapy. Recently in Matter, Du et al. developed a phase-specific MSC exosome secretion system that on-demand produced pro-angiogenic and pro-neurogenic exosomes in the inflammation-proliferation and proliferation-remodeling phases, respectively. This innovation coordinated

The pursuit of osmotic energy has gained momentum due to environmental concerns. Jiang et al. developed a metal-ion-coordination-assisted orientation strategy for constructing axially aligned covalent organic framework (COF) membranes, achieving record osmotic energy power density of 320.8 W m−2 using real seawater/river water. The breakthrough highlights the importance of pore orientation and the

Multi-modal in-sensor computing offers a promising approach to enhancing data processing efficiency and achieving breakthroughs in bandwidth and energy consumption. In a recent study published in Device, Chang et al. introduced a porous-Si/Si artificial visual system created through electrochemical etching. The voltage regulation performance, driven by the photovoltaic effect, has the potential to

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as oxygen evolution reaction (OER) electrocatalysts in water have exhibited promising catalytic activity thanks to abundant reaction sites and great tunability. Generally, metal centers in MOFs are known to experience geometric and electronic changes to form catalytically active sites in the OER process. However, the in situ restructuring process of metal centers in

Zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) have garnered significant attention as potential candidates for large-scale energy storage. In recent years, researchers have made notable progress in extending the cycle life of ZIBs. However, another critical factor, calendar aging, also plays a significant role in applying ZIBs practically. The current research achievements and expectations for the practical application

Accurate and efficient synthesis of catalysts is a critical issue in catalysis research. Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) provide a transformative opportunity for catalyst synthesis, shifting from traditional experience-driven approaches to data-driven, automated, and intelligent design and synthesis methodology. This perspective highlights representative progress in AI-assisted

Biological skin, as a highly complex organ, is equipped with an ultrasensitive sensor network capable of accurately biosensing, characterizing, and differentiating multiple stimuli simultaneously. Despite significant advancements in electronic skin (e-skin) over the past two decades, researchers remain relentless in their pursuit of achieving perfect sensory functionality and even enhanced perceptual