Atomically precise gold and silver nanoclusters are promising for diverse applications but are often synthesized as mixtures. Fluorescence excitation–emission matrix (EEM) spectroscopy with parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC) enables rapid, non-destructive monitoring of intermediates and assessment of optical purity. Here, tiopronin-protected gold nanoclusters were synthesized photochemically, and two distinct nanocluster species were isolated by monitoring the reaction using EEM and PARAFAC. The formation of Ag18(Captopril)14 clusters was also monitored, revealing an emissive impurity that significantly affected biocompatibility. This study highlights the utility of EEM and PARAFAC as powerful tools for monitoring nanocluster formation and verifying optical purity before biomedical applications.
We examine the different aspects of covalent organic framework (COF) stability. Of these, linkage chemistry has received the most attention, progressing from B–O to polyphenazine-linked backbones, alongside post-synthetic modification and stable-linkage crystallinity control through slow release and protecting group approaches. Interlayer stabilisation has also been explored through both post-synthetic and in-built crosslinking strategies. Nevertheless, these advances remain fragmented; stabilisation strategies are rarely benchmarked under equivalent conditions and there are notable blind spots: the mechanical stability of COF films and membranes is often neglected, and device scale morphological stability is rarely quantified. This prospective contextualises and critically evaluates stabilisation strategies, identifies where progress has been made, and where strategies remain underdeveloped.
Polylactic acid (PLA) films were subjected to low-pressure plasma treatment and electron beam (e-beam) irradiation to promote subsequent fatty acid (FA) chloride grafting. This approach was investigated because surface esterification of PLA is currently constrained by the limited availability of reactive functional groups capable of serving as anchoring sites for fatty acids on the PLA surface. Water contact angle (WCA) measurements following plasma treatment showed a significant reduction, indicating enhanced surface polarity. After FA grafting, both WCA and olive oil contact angles increased notably, suggesting potential applications in packaging, particularly for improving easy-emptying properties. WCA remained significantly increased compared to untreated PLA even after multiple washing steps in petroleum ether. Determination of water vapour transmission rates (WVTR) showed no significant effect of FA grafting compared to the reference film.
We present pty–co–SAXSNN, a convolutional neural network approach enabling simultaneous ptychography and small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS). Beam divergence from focusing optics often blurs SAXS features, limiting the analysis of reciprocal-space structures within ptychographic diffraction patterns. To overcome accuracy and speed limitations of traditional deconvolution, this framework uses ptychography-reconstructed probe to deconvolve and correct these effects. Trained on realistic simulations from experimentally reconstructed probes, the network is applied to gold nanoparticle clathrate assemblies, rapidly recovering sharp Bragg peaks and spatially resolved orientations. This framework enables fast, robust, and dose-efficient structural characterization, linking nanoscale crystallinity with mesoscale organization in complex materials.
Prepreg-based glass fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) composites are limited by frozen storage, lengthy curing, and poor recyclability, and few systems address these challenges simultaneously. Here, we report a recyclable, orthogonal dual-cure resin system designed to enable theoretically ambient-temperature-stable prepregs and rapid laminate fabrication. A thermally activated epoxy-anhydride/epoxy-acid reaction forms a malleable intermediate network with complete anhydride conversion, followed by photoinitiated (meth)acrylate polymerization reaching 80
Battery-free skin-interfaced sensing requires lightweight passive tags that can operate with wearable readers. Here, we report a flexible NFC platform combining a passive circular FPCB tag with a flexible TRF7970A-based reader for temperature and impedance monitoring. The tag integrates an RF430FRL152H transponder, skin-contact impedance electrodes, an analog front end for impedance measurement, and an STS41 temperature sensor. The tag maintained stable data readout within 25 mm, and preserved its response under 1 cm bending. A status-gated, duty-cycled ISO 15693 workflow enabled 0.1 Hz temperature and impedance updates with BLE smartphone visualization.
Bioelectronic medicine enables direct interfacing with native cell populations but remains limited by poor long-term integration and minimal interaction with non-electroactive cells. In contrast, regenerative medicine promotes tissue integration yet lacks bidirectional functionality. Here, we present a hybrid implantation methodology combining a tissue engineered cellularized hydrogel with a neural recording array for simultaneous delivery into the brain via needle placement. This approach enables co-localized transplantation of cells and electronics while minimizing surgical footprint. Post-implantation electrophysiological recordings show functional integration with surrounding neural tissue, demonstrating the feasibility of this platform for coupled bioelectronic sensing and regenerative capabilities.
Calcium phosphate biomineralization underpins bone formation, and despite decades of microscopy research, its nucleation and growth pathways remain elusive at the nanoscale. Recent advances in liquid phase microscopy, particularly liquid transmission electron microscopy and in situ atomic force microscopy, enable real-time visualization of dynamic processes in solution. This prospective review evaluates emerging insights into early calcium phosphate nucleation and phase transformations, while highlighting works involving additives and inorganic interfaces. Key challenges implicating findings are also addressed. Future directions emphasize multimodal approaches integrating spectroscopy and controlled solution chemistry to decouple mechanisms, improving our understanding of the complex processes involved in hydroxyapatite formation.
The design-build-test-analyze (DBTA) cycle is a powerful framework for accelerating discovery across macromolecular materials; moreover, recent advances in synthesis, characterization, and computational modeling have increased the feasibility of integrated, iterative workflows. Protein-based materials are a compelling target for a DBTA workflow, as their monomer-level sequence control facilitates precise structure–property studies, and their vast design space and diverse use cases require new high-throughput and automated methods. In this Prospective, we highlight opportunities in each stage of the protein-materials DBTA cycle in which automated and data-driven approaches can alleviate current bottlenecks and drive efficient discovery of high-performance materials.
Solvent-free dry electrode processing can substantially reduce the cost and environmental footprint of electrode manufacturing, including battery electrodes, but achieving homogeneous powder mixtures without a liquid phase remains challenging. Here, we compare three different mixing operations: manual mortar and pestle, high-shear lab mill, and centrifugal planetary mixer, and quantify their impact on material preservation, powder homogeneity, electrode architecture, and electrochemical performance. The type of mixing mode is shown to impact particle dispersion, percolation networks, and cell behavior, with more effective mixers yielding superior structural uniformity and higher performance than others. These findings provide practical guidance for selecting lab-scale mixing strategies for high-quality dry electrodes.
Developing scaffolds that support neuronal attachment and differentiation is essential for neuroscience research and neural tissue engineering. Although hydrogels are attractive scaffolds, they often require bioactive functionalization and exogenous neurotrophic factors to promote neurite outgrowth. Here, biomimetically synthesized conductive polymer particles (CPs) were used as hydrogel surface coatings to promote neurite outgrowth without exogenous neurotrophic factors. Pulsed electrical stimulation (ES) further enhanced neurite outgrowth on CP-coated hydrogels compared with conventional cell-adhesive protein coatings. This simple surface functionalization strategy modifies the hydrogel surface without changing the bulk hydrogel formulation, offering potential for neural interfaces and bioelectronic applications.
The carbon nanospheres (CNs) were synthesized via hydrothermal method using anhydrous glucose (carbon precursor) and anionic polyacrylamide (APAM, dispersant). The effects of hydrothermal conditions (temperature, time) and APAM dosage on CNs’ structure, adsorption, and photoelectrochemical (PEC) performance were investigated. The optimal sample, C-120 (prepared with 120 mg APAM), exhibited a superior methylene blue (MB) adsorption capacity of 119.40 mg/g. The adsorption process demonstrated selectivity for cationic dyes and was well described by pseudo-second-order kinetics and the Langmuir isotherm model, indicating a monolayer chemical adsorption mechanism. Additionally, the C-120 sample exhibited superior PEC performance compared to the dispersant-free sample C-0, attributed to more efficient charge transfer. Carbon nanospheres (CNs) with good dispersion were prepared using anhydrous glucose as the carbon source and polyacrylamide as the dispersant. These CNs not only exhibit an excellent adsorption performance in the dark condition but also better photoelectrochemical activity under visible light irradiation.
Significant attention was given to the use of machine learning (ML) in fused deposition modeling (FDM) to optimize printing processes. In this study, an ML-based framework was developed for establishing interpretable quantitative relationships between printing parameters and the mechanical properties of polylactic acid (PLA). A polynomial ElasticNet model was employed to derive closed-form predictive equations with a strong predictive performance (R2 ≈ 0.87 for ultimate tensile strength and R2 ≈ 0.89 for elastic modulus). The layer height was identified as the dominant parameter. The proposed approach provides continuous, interpretable relationships to enable efficient process optimization in FDM.
The growing demand for sustainable, high-performance energy storage has heightened interest in biomass-derived activated carbons (BDACs) as electrode materials for supercapacitors. This review summarizes diverse biomass precursors and evaluates major synthesis routes, including physical/chemical activation, hydrothermal, microwave-assisted, and template methods, and highlights how processing controls pore structure, surface chemistry, and graphitization. Key structural features and their links to electrochemical performance are compared, including surface area, porosity, functional groups, capacitance, energy/power density, and cycling stability. The review also outlines challenges such as precursor variability and scalability, as well as future opportunities, including advanced activation, heteroatom doping, composites, and green synthesis.
On-demand manufacturing of electronics is reshaping how functional devices are designed, fabricated, and deployed. At the forefront of this transformation are functional inks, which determine not only printability but also device performance, reliability, sustainability, and scalability. Despite significant progress in printing platforms, ink design and formulation remain a primary bottleneck for achieving high-performance and robust manufacturing systems. This perspective examines the physicochemical design principles that govern functional inks for printed electronics, with a particular focus on electrohydrodynamic printing. We highlight how advances in material chemistry, nanoparticle morphology, and two-dimensional and precursor-based material systems are rapidly expanding the design space for electronics, sensing, and energy-related devices. By linking ink composition, jetting physics, and device-level performance, this work outlines critical challenges and emerging opportunities for developing scalable, high performance, and sustainable on-demand electronics. Electrohydrodynamic printing enables high-resolution patterning of functional inks, linking materials design, printing physics, and device performance for printed electronics.
Using polyurethane-modified phase change materials, the heat storage performance and the regulation effect on the pore structure of concrete were studied to improve the interfacial compatibility. The results demonstrate that increasing porosity significantly enhances paraffin adsorption and thermal buffering capacity, with the heating rate reduced from 6.43 to 1.14°C/min as foaming agent content increases. At an optimal formulation, a balance between mechanical integrity (1.5 MPa compressive strength) and porosity (20
Energy‑efficient in‑space additive manufacturing (iAM) will be a deciding factor in whether long‑duration missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond can move from demonstration to sustained operation. In our view, simply transplanting terrestrial AM processes into the resource‑constrained, power‑limited, and harsh environments of space is unlikely to succeed without a fundamental rethinking of how energy, materials, and process design are coupled. This perspective discusses how emerging low‑power AM approaches can be tailored to meet the requirements of microgravity and extraterrestrial surfaces, alongside in situ energy harvesting and utilization concepts intended to lessen dependence on Earth‑supplied power, and energy‑efficient remanufacturing pathways that enable closed‑loop use of space materials. By qualitatively comparing these directions with respect to energy demand, technology readiness, and integration potential, we highlight critical gaps and argue for a shift toward autonomous, energy‑aware in‑space AM systems. We hope these viewpoints will help steer future research toward resilient, mission‑ready manufacturing capabilities that can underpin truly sustainable space exploration.
Degradable polymer synthesis has gained significant attention in recent years, driven by the need for sustainable and recyclable polymeric materials. Reversible addition fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization, a controlled radical polymerization technique, offers precise control over molecular weight, low dispersity, and broad functional group tolerance, enabling the synthesis of a wide range of polymer architectures. This review summarizes recent advances in the RAFT-based synthesis of polymers, with particular emphasis on their degradation pathways. Reported depolymerization strategies for monomer recovery, including end-group unzipping mechanisms and stimulus triggered activation by heat or light, are discussed. In addition, strategies for bond cleavage in RAFT polymers are examined in the context of various polymer topologies including reductive, hydrolytic, enzymatic, or aminolytic approaches. These advances position RAFT-derived degradable polymers as a powerful platform for sustainable additive manufacturing and circular materials design. Overall, this review provides valuable insights into how degradability can be effectively achieved via RAFT polymerization and serves as a foundation and inspiration for future material design, modifications, and applications, particularly in additive manufacturing.
Ganoderma sporocarps form vertically aligned tubular structures, which disperse spores, that have unknown mechanical advantages. This study examines the structure–property relationships of tubes across three species, focusing on chemical composition, structure, and mechanical response under varying loading conditions and length scales. FTIR, SEM characterization, and nanoindentation show consistent chemistry, structure, and indentation hardness, revealing a uniform material and structure. Compression testing shows anisotropic strength, with higher axial strength, while tensile fracture testing shows higher transverse fracture energy. This opposing behavior suggests the tubes offset directional low strength by resisting crack propagation, thereby making them a viable structural layer for bioinspired design.
The optimization of energy materials, particularly heterogeneous catalysts, requires a fundamental understanding of atomic-scale behavior under operating conditions. While four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) has revolutionized the mapping of static internal fields and strain, the stochastic and transient nature of catalytic reactions demands temporal resolution. Here, we explore the emergence of 5D-STEM (time-resolved 4D-STEM), a technique capable of visualizing the dynamic interplay of structure, charge, and chemistry in real time in both real and reciprocal space. We review the current stage of applying 4D-STEM for catalysis research, the necessity of continuous in situ recording for capturing dynamics using 5D-STEM, and the experimental and computational approaches required to manage the terabyte-scale datasets generated by these experiments.
