Replicating the skin's ability to sense touch, feel pain, and heal itself is key to developing the next generation of durable soft electronics. These capabilities become more critical in underwater environments, where divers and underwater machines face severe challenges such as limited dexterity, device damage, and restricted power availability. Here, we develop a self-healing magnetoelectric sensory system (SMES) that uniquely integrates self-powered tactile and proximity sensing with damage detection and autonomous recovery for amphibious operation. The SMES features a multilayer architecture composed of a damage-sensing layer and an underlying magnetoelectric sensing layer, both utilizing a self-healing elastomer with patterned liquid-metal conductors. The design enables the system to detect and recover from pricking, puncturing, and cutting damage while maintaining stable functionality. The SMES exhibits good sensitivity, rapid response, and robust durability in both air and water. Demonstrations with a smart diving glove and a soft robotic hand highlight its potential for noncontact communication and mechanoreception with damage feedback, paving the way toward next-generation amphibious soft machines that can feel and heal like living skin.

Aesthetic dentistry acts as a crucial symbol of oral health, and its development relies on advances in tooth-whitening strategies. Traditional peroxide-based whitening agents are restricted by inconvenient clinical operation and potential damage to the surface enamel and surrounding soft tissues. Novel non-destructive methods based on photo-, piezo- and pyro-catalysis present advantages in terms of usage and biosafety. However, their applications are still challenged by their whitening efficiency and time consumption. Targeted at these drawbacks, our study presents an innovative wireless and convenient tooth-whitening system using magnetoelectric-powered electrocatalysis in response to an external alternating magnetic field. Enamel deposits can be degraded by electro-catalysis within an obviously short span of time. Wireless electric output can promote the generation of redox compounds within whitening gels, thereby accelerating pigment degradation on stained teeth and shortening the treatment time compared with existing methods. Therefore, the newly developed wireless magnetoelectric-powered electrocatalytic system provides a potential strategy for the advancement and improvement of clinical tooth whitening strategies and oral aesthetics.

Cellular solids ubiquitously exist in natural systems and are crucial for living organisms1,2. Their unique smooth branch and node morphologies are often seen as adaptations for enhanced mechanical performance3,4. Exploring alternative evolutionary functions can enrich the understanding of cellular solids, but it is frequently neglected. Here we show that the biomineralized cellular solids in echinoderm stereom (for example, sea urchin spine) have unexpected mechanoelectrical perception with response potential and response time, both of which are one to three orders of magnitude greater than those of echinoderm vision5. This exceptional perception originates from the gradient cellular solids (with varying void- or solid-phase diameters) along the [001] spine axis, generating a differential charge density across the stereom surface during liquid flow. Inspired by this natural wisdom, we create artificial spine-like structures using three-dimensional printing technology that exhibit three-fold higher voltage output and eight-fold greater amplitude differential than gradient-free samples, as well as a nature-inspired metamaterial mechanoreceptor capable of time-resolved self-monitoring information underwater. Our findings advance the understanding of load-sensitive biomimetic cellular solids (such as wood, sponge and trabecular bone), with the potential to develop functional gradient cellular materials towards underwater spatiotemporal sensing and water resource utilization.

Global water scarcity poses a critical challenge, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions where access to fresh water is limited. Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) is an innovative solution for capturing moisture and converting it into usable water. Owing to their absorption capacity and cost-effectiveness, hygroscopic salts, such as lithium chloride (LiCl), are of great importance for AWH; yet their practical applications are impeded by issues such as clumping and leakage. To address these challenges, this study combines thermoplastic polyurethane with LiCl using selective laser sintering 3D printing technology to fabricate bio-inspired hierarchical porous cones (HPCs). LiCl particles are embedded in polymeric scaffolds, exposing more active areas for water sorption and release, which favors both AWH and further water evaporation kinetics of the 3D-printed object. The as-prepared HPCs demonstrate a moisture absorption as high as 2.65 g g-1 at 80% relative humidity, exhibiting exceptional water-harvesting performance. The 3D-printed objects maintain stable performances over multiple absorption-release cycles, validating their effectiveness under real-world conditions. A 3D-printed HPC array has been demonstrated, which can produce 1.89 kg kg-1 day-1 of AWH under natural sunlight. This work provides insights into the development of efficient AWH systems and lays the groundwork for future innovations in sustainable water sourcing.

ABSTRACT Diverse material species, ranging from gold to ceramic, have been selected to construct dental implants in the past decades. However, existing implants are primarily designed to restore masticatory function yet fail to completely recover the sensory feedback of natural teeth. Deprivation of sensory inputs impairs the perception of food texture and hinders the regulation of chewing force. This defect could result in unnecessary overload, leading to technical complications and biological failures, such as bone loss and temporomandibular joint damage, which remarkably limit their clinical outcomes. To endow the implanted tooth with masticatory perception, herein we demonstrate a 3D‐printed piezoelectric‐core/robust‐sheath implanted tooth can rebuild the sensing feedback, serving as “mechanoreceptors” in converting mechanical chewing force to electrical signals, and up to brain through surrounding alveolar nerves. Working mechanism for the piezoelectric tooth has been revealed by real‐time tracing of neurological activities in the mouse brain in response to simulating occlusal stimulus. Furthermore, more than 90% patients in clinical cases subjectively admitted the rebuilding of their masticatory perception after being implanted the piezoelectric tooth. These findings substantially advance the field of smart implants and herald a promising avenue for medical engineering aimed at enhancing the multi‐functionality of implants in their applications.

High-load structural materials inherently transmit vibrations with high efficiency, leading to a fundamental trade-off between load-bearing capacity and vibration isolation, particularly in practical engineering environments such as large-scale machinery applications. This trade-off is especially evident in porous structures represented by triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) lattices. These structures offer high specific strength and lightweight load-bearing capacity yet lack adequate low-frequency vibration isolation, with their mechanical and damping performances strongly volume fraction-dependent. Bioinspired by cat paw pads, we proposed a novel strategy integrating topological discretization with a viscoelastic interpenetrating phase to address this challenge. Results show that the TPMS-Gyroid lattices with 1–8 interlacing cells were fabricated via laser powder bed fusion at a constant volume fraction and infiltrated with silicone rubber. Multi-path load transfer enables uniform stress distribution, silicone rubber constrains strut deformation, enhances energy absorption, and extends fatigue life through interfacial friction and viscoelastic dissipation. Shaker tests confirm improved low-frequency vibration level difference (VLD) via lowered natural frequency and enhanced damping ratio. Experimental validation in a ship propulsion shaft system demonstrates the hybrid metamaterial achieves 39 dB VLD at 55 Hz and up to 1201% higher vibration attenuation than solid bearings under realistic axial displacements, while maintaining excellent load-bearing performance. These results provide a scalable design approach for high-load, low-frequency vibration isolation in large-scale machinery, automated industry, and electronic devices.

Owing to the urgent requirement of short-wave ultraviolet (UV) nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals, organics with planar groups attract much attention, which usually exhibit a high optical anisotropy and a large second harmonic generation (SHG) response. Herein, we found glycolamide crystals based on the structure modulation of acetamide by hydroxyl. With a staggered arrangement of planar groups, acetamide crystal exhibits such an insufficient optical anisotropy that could not satisfy the phase-matching condition. To address this limitation, a targeted molecular engineering approach was implemented by introducing hydroxyl into methyl, which induces a configuration reconstruction by dual hydrogen bonds, resulting in a uniformly arranged glycolamide structure. As a bifunctional unit (acting as both a hydrogen donor and an acceptor), the hydroxyl improves not only the uniformity of molecular arrangement, but also their spatial density. Therefore, glycolamide crystals exhibit a substantially modified birefringence (0.07 @ 546 nm) and an enhanced SHG response (1.6 x KH2PO4), while they maintain a short UV absorption cutoff edge (about 210 nm). This work establishes a novel paradigm for performance optimization in organic NLO crystals by rational hydrogen bond engineering.

The pentamode materials (PMs) are metamaterials that connect macroscopic mass blocks through submicroscopic beams. This macro–micro interlaced design gives the PMs a vanishing shear modulus and easily customized elastic tensors, providing them with unique advantages in wave manipulation. However, PMs tend to produce additional scattering that severely disturbs the wavefront in the underwater wave manipulation. Traditional optimization methods generally come at the expense of decreased pressure resistance. In this work, it is found that the scattering is caused by surface bending waves which result from asymmetric loading conditions at the water–PM interface. These surface bending waves alter the fluid‐like properties of the PM and reduce its equivalent bulk modulus. A method is developed to quantify the influence of surface bending waves by strain energy. Based on this method, an asymmetric surface structure is designed to reduce the surface bending waves and achieve the target acoustic equivalent parameter. Simulations and underwater experiments demonstrate that the asymmetric PM metasurface can reduce the scattering from 26.3 to 0.96 dB and multiply the frequency range of wave manipulation. This approach results in a 95% improvement in compressive strength compared to structures with the same acoustic performance, enabling wider deepwater applications.

Wearable electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding devices are highly demanded to reduce the endlessly emerging EM pollution. Undesired durability and limited scale-up production capacity are the main obstacles to hinder the industrialized application of flexible EMI wearables. Here, a scalable Fe3O4/polypyrrole (PPy) embedded cotton/polypropylene (FP@CP) fabric is introduced for EMI shielding and Joule heating, which is achieved by a unique particle flow spinning method. This method can continually manufacture functional yarns in large quantities, followed by weaving into fabrics. The core-sheath yarn structure can highly embed Fe3O4/PPy shielding layer by polypropylene (PP) strips, which protects internal functional components from leakage or damage by the environment. Consequently, the obtained fabrics present greater durability (50 washing and 465 abrasion cycles) in comparison with most reported EMI devices. The EMI shielding mechanism was investigated through both experimental and simulation methods. It suggests that the combination of EMI reflection and absorption modes synergistically contributes to enhancing the EMI shielding property of obtained fabrics, reaching a maximum total shielding effectiveness (SET) of 47 dB. Besides, the composite fabric achieves a high Joule heating temperature to 105 ℃ at 3 V within 10 s due to its efficient electric-thermal property. This work paves a cost-effective way to realize scale-up manufacturing of versatile EM protection textiles to be applied in daily, military and aerospace fields.

A recent paper in Cell Reports Physical Science by Wang and co-workers reports a multi-layer screen-printing strategy for fabricating the main body of magnetic soft robots (MSRs). Integrating with the magnetic reorientation technique, the approach enables part-specific programming of magnetic polarization, facilitating the scalable and low-cost manufacturing of MSRs with a responsive shape-morphing ability.

Next-generation ionic skin (i-skin) should be self-healing and self-powered, promoting its development toward lightweight, miniaturization, compact, and portable designs. Previously reported self-powered i-skin mostly either lack the ability to self-repair damaged parts or only have self-healing capabilities some components, falling short of achieving complete device self-healability. In this work, a self-bonding strategy is presented to obtain an all-polymerizable deep eutectic solvent (PDES) magnetoelectric i-skin (MIS) that simultaneously achieves self-powering and full-device autonomous self-healability. The three-layered MIS can easily restore mechanical and electrochemical performance at the full-device level without requiring any external stimulus. The developed MIS can be easily configured into various 3D architectures with highly compatible magnetic and conductive components, offering promising potential for the advancement of embodied energy technologies. The present work provides a versatile and user-friendly platform for producing a wide range of intrinsic self-healing multi-layered devices made from soft materials, with potential applications extending beyond human-machine interfaces and artificial intelligence.

Flexible piezoelectric mechanism-based energy harvesters find numerous applications in wearable electronics, robotics, healthcare, actuators, and human-machine interactions. However, the improvement of the piezoelectric coefficient (d33), which favors a high-efficiency conversion between the mechanical deformation and electric energy, faces considerable challenges. Furthermore, the mismatching of the high internal impedance (millions of ohms) of most existing piezoelectric materials and the low external load impedance (few to several thousands of ohms) restricts available current outputs. To address these challenges, we fabricated a soft magnetoelectric energy harvester (SMEH) that exhibits an ultra-high d33 value of up to 116600 pC/N, two orders of magnitude higher than that of commercial lead zirconium titanate (PZT) of the same size. Such d33 was confirmed by three kinds of classic measurements, including a dynamic compression, a quasi-static one and an interferometric approach. Furthermore, the internal impedance of the SMEH is only a few ohms, enabling it to provide an electric output two orders of magnitude higher than PZT when connected in series with a low-impedance load (<= 500 Omega). We anticipate that liquid metal-based soft magnetoelectric devices will find extensive applications in flexible electronics and energy harvesters.

Piezoelectric biomaterials, capable of converting electrical energy to mechanical energy and vice versa, are desirable for implantable devices that can achieve biosensing, tissue regeneration, anti-infection, and tumor treatment. However, their low piezoelectricity, simple geometry, and monotonous functionality remain challenging towards practical applications. Here, we report the design and additive manufacturing of a series of biocompatible piezoelectric lattice materials with bone-mimicking designs and ultrasound-regulated electrical responses. Barium calcium zirconate titanate (BCZT) with a piezoelectric coefficient d33 up to 580 pC/N was synthesized and used as the parent material of the lattices for additive manufacturing. The as-fabricated BCZT lattices have compressive strength comparable to native trabecular bones, making them promising candidates for implantation and in vivo activation. We show that the lattices allow on-demand activation of anti-tumor or osteogenic functions with programmable non-invasive ultrasound stimuli, both in vitro and in vivo. Our findings provide new insights and a widely applicable strategy for developing versatile, non-invasive, and regulatable biomedical devices via bio-mimicking designs and additive manufacturing.

The development of tactile e-skins aims to capture more tactile information with fewer sensing units, addressing the limitation of discernible directions imposed by the limited density of sensing units in traditional tactile e-skin. As a self-powered solution, flexible magnetoelectric systems are expected to fulfill this requirement effectively. The soft magnetoelectric skin (SMES) has been proposed here for multidirectional tactile sensing by imitating the structure and tactile hyperacuity of human skin. The SMES integrates a force-magnetic coupling layer with an electromagnetic induction layer, enabling it to detect vertical forces at 25 points and tangential forces in 12 directions using only 4 coils, showing its tactile hyperacuity. Both experimental and simulation results demonstrate its stable, self-powered multidirectional sensing mechanism. Additionally, a customized machine learning model achieves 96.01% accuracy in detecting 37 force directions, even under varying compression conditions. Combined with a real-time sensing system, its application potential for robotic tactile sensing and human-computer interfaces has been highlighted, showcasing its application versatility. In a word, the SMES realizes advanced multidirectional tactile sensing ability with a minimal number of sensing units and energy consumption.

A gradient graphene/PANI (rGO/PANI) gel film was fabricated via blade casting and subsequent electropolymerization method for the application in Zinc-iodine batteries. The gradient structure facilitates the electronic conductivity as well as adequate space for the accumulation of polyiodides. The positively charged nitrogen (-NH+-) on the PANI polymer chain serves as active sites for electrostatic adsorption of polyiodide ions. The gradient rGO/PANI demonstrates a high specific capacity of 198 mAh g- 1 when used as cathode in Zinciodine batteries. Moreover, this composite film also exhibits satisfied electrochemical performance as a cathode for copper ion capacitors with a specific capacity of 121 mAh g- 1 and an outstanding capacity retention of 82 % after 10,000 cycles.

Continuous carbon fiber (CCF) holds significant promise for many key applications owing to its high strength, high modulus, lightweight, and chemical stability. However, in most research and applications, CCF is primarily used as a load‐bearing structural component, and its conductive advantage has not been fully exploited. To further harness the excellent conductivity of CCF and expand their potential applications, this study employs a hybrid 3D printing method to fabricate a series of CCF magneto‐electric functional composites with triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS) porous structures. Based on the design strategy of TPMS porous structures, this work demonstrates the dynamic impact energy absorption of CCF functional composites, achieving an absorption efficiency greater than 49%. By establishing a correlation between dynamic loads and output electrical signals, dynamic load sensing is achieved, demonstrating a strong linear relationship with an R 2 value of up to 0.99. The design concept is further applied to the fabrication of a ship hull to absorb wave energy and convert it to the electrical signal. The printed hull is capable of sensing water wave, achieving a peak sensing current of 10 µA. The methods and insights presented in this study offer significant potential for expanding the applications of CCF.

Temporal modulation based on phase transition rule of natural wound healing is of significant importance for high-performance tissue regeneration, thus avoiding potential risks from prolonged healing period. Unfortunately, most existing wound dressings cannot realize programmed temporal modulation, which greatly limits their further development in fast tissue regeneration. Here, we demonstrate a magnetoelectric wound dressing (MWD) that can achieve micro-ampere level & wireless electric output and programmed temporal modulation. The MWD is mainly composed of two parts: a multi-layered magnetoelectric dressing integrated with liquid metal (LM) coils and conductive interfaces, as well as a wearable 3D-printed accessory. In response to variable changes in magnetic flux from the outside accessory, input electricity from LM coil could be generated into wounded niche and adjusted to satisfy requirements of different biological stages. Experimental results indicated that low-level input facilitated macrophage M2 polarization during inflammatory phase, and high-level input activated behaviors of fibroblasts in proliferative stage, thus achieving an ultra-fast early-stage wound healing outcome. Overall, a promising concept is presented here to develop an intelligent wound caring system that can achieve on-demand temporal modulation for ultra-fast early-stage wound healing and thus avoid potential risks during prolonged healing process.

Immunomodulation is essential for implants to regulate tissue regeneration, while bioelectricity plays a fundamental role in regulating immune activities. Under natural preferences, the bone matrix electrical microenvironment is heterogeneous in the nanoscale, which provides fundamental electrical cues to regulate bone immunity and regenerative repair. However, remodeling bone nanoscale heterogeneous electrical microenvironment remains a challenge, and the underlying immune modulation mechanism remains to be explored. In this research, in situ discretely distributed nano-heterojunctions are constructed on titanium oxide nanofibers to mimic the heterogeneous electrical microenvironment exhibited by bone collagen fibers. The material is identified to directly regulate calcium ion channeling for anti-inflammatory polarization of macrophages. Surprisingly, the highly biomimetic heterogeneous electrical microenvironment can induce a pro-angiogenic phenotypic transformation of macrophages, leading to enhanced neo-vascularization at the early stage of osteogenesis. Mechanistic exploration identifies that PI3K signaling pathway-mediated FGF2 secretion may partially explain for strengthened coupling of immunomodulation and angiogenesis, which optimizes subsequent bone regeneration. These findings highlight the significance of biomimetic heterogeneous electrical cues on immune-modulation and provide a design principle for future electroactive implant materials.

Magnetoelastic soft materials are widely used in soft bioelectronics. However, mechanical deformation usually induces minimal changes in magnetic flux, limiting electrical outputs. To overcome this limitation, a two-step process is employed to enhance the variation in magnetic flux density under mechanical force. On one hand, the helical structural design enables the magnetic membrane to flip completely, reversing the magnetic field. On the other hand, the applied mechanical force induces strain within the magnetoelastic membrane, leading to variations in magnetic flux density. A complete 180° reversal of the magnetic field is achieved using a logarithmic helical structure, resulting in a 200% increase in magnetic flux variation and a peak current of 6.34 mA. Following structural optimization, the current density reached an impressive 7.17 mA cm-2. Using this rationally designed logarithmic helix model, a knee pad is developed for wearable energy harvesting from human body movement. The device can generate a current of up to 2.83 mA, providing sufficient power for various small electronics, including smartphones, LED lights, headlamps, and rechargeable batteries. This achievement represents a significant milestone in advancing high-performance wearable biomechanical energy harvesting.

Non-centrosymmetric (NCS) structures are the prerequisite and basis for ideal nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals. However, they are usually difficult to be achieved. In this regard, a cationic modulation strategy with...