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Recent advances in AI present opportunities to transform industries by meeting demands for efficiency and sustainability. Here, the authors propose a framework for AI-driven infrastructures in materials discovery and manufacturing, highlighting open-source tools and scalable architectures to democratize access, enhance collaboration, and align with global sustainability goals.
Silk fibroin’s exceptional biocompatibility and biodegradability make it a promising biomaterial for drug delivery systems. Here, the authors review silk fibroin nanoparticles’ extraction, fabrication, and applications, highlighting challenges in large-scale production and proposing strategies to bridge the gap between laboratory research and clinical development, potentially advancing biomedical applications.
This Review surveys progress in the development of carbon nanotubes as single-photon sources for emerging quantum technologies, with a focus on chemical synthesis and quantum defect engineering, computational studies of structure-property relationships, and experimental investigations of quantum optical properties.
Phase-shift engineering of triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) is a strategy for modulating the phase shifts of electrical output from multiple TENG units to achieve continuous constant voltage/current output. This Review summarizes the principles of phase shift engineered TENGs, and how it might further boost energy utilization efficiency and practicality.
This Review explores recent advances in MXene-based stimuli-responsive materials that respond to light, heat, mechanical deformation, chemical environment, magnetic fields, and biological cues. Opportunities for translating these intelligent materials into practical technologies by exploiting their multimodal responsiveness is also discussed
This Review explores the role of fundamental physical properties, such as size, charge, elasticity, curvature, fluidity, and asymmetry, on optimizing lipid-based drug delivery systems. Knowledge gaps and guidance for the future development of lipid-based nanocarriers are also discussed.
This review explores recent advances in carbon quantum dot-based fluorescent biosensors, emphasizing their potential in real-time pollutant detection, bioimaging, and green energy solutions.
Ion-selective membranes are essential for tackling water scarcity, environmental security, and energy challenges, yet conventional designs face a trade-off between permeability and selectivity. In this Review, the authors explore covalent organic frameworks as promising membrane materials, highlighting their structural advantages and proposing future research directions for enhanced ion separation and scalability.
Solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries promise high energy density, long-term performance, and enhanced safety, but face challenges with interfacial issues due to poor solid–solid contact. Here, the authors review the benefits and challenges of in situ polymerization, discussing its potential to enhance electrode-electrolyte integration and improve battery performance, and proposing future prospects for multifunctional polymer solid-state electrolytes.
Spider silks are a diverse family of protein-based fibers with exceptional strength, extensibility, and toughness. This Review discusses aciniform silk, which exhibits the highest toughness of all spider silks yet is relatively underexplored.
This Review explores the evolution of MXene synthesis, from their discovery to current state-of-play, with a focus on their bioengineering applications, through meta-analytic and bibliometric analyses
Catalysis in lithium-sulfur batteries can address issues related to limited capacity and cycle durability. This Perspective discusses the mechanisms behind the role catalysts play in LiPS adsorption, ion and electron transport, conversion of intermediate species, and decomposition of discharge products.
Lithium-sulfur batteries offer high theoretical energy density and cost advantages, but typically suffer from the lithium polysulfide shuttle effect. This Review explores the use of sparingly solvating electrolytes as a way to address this, providing an assessment of the different classes of material, including the need for assessment under real operating conditions.
While silicon is widely used in photovoltaic devices, its use in applications that require photoelectrochemical reactions is constrained. This Review discusses the use of silicon for light-induced production of hydrogen, carbon dioxide, ammonia, and for biomass valorization, with a focus on nanostructures and tuning optoelectronic and surface properties.
Halid perovskite nanocrystals are of interest for use in lighting displays due to their attractive luminescent properties. This Review discusses recent progress and outstanding challenges, with a focus on the pixelation process.
This Review discusses the use of conducting polymers as anodes and cathodes in zinc- and alkali-ion hybrid capacitors, including their ability to support charge storage mechanisms, as a sustainable way to improve performance of electronics and energy storage devices.
Understanding the role of electronic spin states in electrodes is vital for improving battery performance. This Review discusses strategies to modulate spin states in electrocatalysts for conversion-type cathodes, with a focus on sulfur cathodes.
Solid-state electrolytes are key to the successful implementation of high-performance all-solid-state lithium-sulfur batteries. This Review discusses the different classes of materials that can be used for electrolytes, focusing on sulfides, halides, oxides, and borohydrides.