Polymer redox-active materials (redoxmers) have numerous applications in the emerging electrochemical energy storage systems due to their structural versatility, fast-cycling ability, high theoretical capacity as electrode materials, sustainability, and recyclability. This review examines recent developments in improving the cycling performance of such materials and provides a vista on the future research directions.

The recent observations of ferromagnetic order in several two-dimensional (2D) materials have generated an enormous interest in the physical mechanisms underlying 2D magnetism. In the present Prospective Article, we show that Density Functional Theory combined with either classical Monte Carlo simulations or renormalized spin-wave theory can predict Curie temperatures for ferromagnetic insulators that are in quantitative agreement with experiments. The case of materials with in-plane anisotropy is then discussed, and it is argued that finite size effects may lead to observable magnetic order in macroscopic samples even if long range magnetic order is forbidden by the Mermin–Wagner theorem.

The processes of singlet fission and triplet fusion could allow state-of-the-art photovoltaic devices to surpass the Shockley–Queisser limit by optimizing the utilized solar spectrum by reducing thermal relaxation and inaccessible sub-bandgap photons, respectively. Triplet fusion demands precise control of the spin-triplet state population, and requires a sensitizer to efficiently populate the triplet state of an acceptor molecule. In this perspective, we highlight the established field of sensitized upconversion and further examine alternative triplet sensitization routes, including the possibility of bulk solid-state semiconductors as triplet sensitizers, which provide a new avenue for charge transfer-based triplet sensitization rather than excitonic triplet energy transfer.

With rapid growth of human population and decreasing labefaction of our environment, the usable fresh water is facing severe pollution and global shortage. Bio-inspired engineering and biotemplate-directed engineering thus offer great promise in clean water generation, including desalination, decontamination, and disinfection. This perspective begins with an introduction of solar energy-based interfacial evaporation system inspired by the natural systems of organisms, and then provides a review of the development and recent progress of the interfacial evaporation system for clean water generation. The long-term outlook in this field of clean water generation using bio-inspired interfacial systems is also discussed.

We propose a device to secure random data in analog format, so that it is taken off the digital grid. Such action will turn off the means by which remote hackers violate security. A physical “rock” manufactured through 3D printing technology, constructed on the basis of high-grade randomness, which is packed into the comprising materials of that rock. The rock functions as an oracle, and does not allow any massive copy of its content. Thus, a major claim of this Prospective is that materials science and engineering may hold the keys to the future of cryptography.

A review is given of the future device processing needs for Ga2O3 power electronics. The two main devices employed in power converters and wireless charging systems will be vertical rectifiers and metal oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs). The rectifiers involve thick epitaxial layers on conducting substrates and require stable Schottky contacts, edge termination methods to reduce electric field crowding, dry etch patterning in the case of trench structures, and low resistance Ohmic contacts in which ion implantation or low bandgap interfacial oxides are used to minimize the specific contact resistance. The MOSFETs also require spatially localized doping enhancement for low source/drain contact resistance, stable gate insulators with acceptable band offsets relative to the Ga2O3 to ensure adequate carrier confinement, and enhancement mode capability. Attempts are being made to mitigate the absence of p-type doping capability for Ga2O3 by developing p-type oxide heterojunctions with n-type Ga2O3. Success in this area would lead to minority carrier devices with better on-state performance and a much-improved range of functionality, such as p-i-n diodes, Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors, and thyristors.

In this topical review of two-photon stereolithography (TPS), we discuss novel materials and demonstrate applications of this technology. Two-photon-initiated chemical processes are used to fabricate arbitrary three-dimensional structures in TPS. In the first part of this article, the development of novel photoactive materials to fabricate pure inorganic or organic–inorganic hybrid microstructures is discussed. The second part discusses the fabrication of functional microstructures for highly specific applications to demonstrate the importance of TPS in different fields of science.

The complex interaction between hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and their microenvironment in the human bone marrow ensures a life-long blood production by balancing stem cell maintenance and differentiation. This so-called HSC niche can be disturbed by malignant diseases. Investigating their consequences on hematopoiesis requires a deep understanding of how the niches function in health and disease. To facilitate this, biomimetic models of the bone marrow are needed to analyze HSC maintenance and hematopoiesis under steady state and diseased conditions. Here, 3D bone marrow models, their fabrication methods (including 3D bioprinting), and implementations recapturing bone marrow functions in health and diseases are presented.

Nanohybrids containing graphene and bismuth ferrite have been actively employed as efficient photo-catalysts these days owing to the low rate of charge carrier's (e−–h+) recombination, moderate surface area with a suitable range of band-gaps. We have synthesized nanohybrids of graphene oxide (GO) and doped BiFeO3 using a co-precipitation method and the doping elements were lanthanum and manganese, hence called BLFMO/GO nanohybrids. The surface area of BLFMO [La = 15% increased from 6.8 m2/g (for pure) to 62.68 m2/g (in nanohybrid)]. Also, the bandgap of the BLFMO/GO nanohybrid reduced significantly up to 1.75 eV. The resulting BLFMO/GO nanohybrid represents significantly higher catalytic activity (96% in 30 min) than the pure BiFeO3 (30% in 30 min).

Nanoscale magnetization modulation by electric field enables the construction of low-power spintronic devices for information storage applications and, etc. Electric field-induced ion migration can introduce desired changes in the material's stoichiometry, defect profile, and lattice structure, which in turn provides a versatile and convenient means to modify the materials’ chemical-physical properties at the nanoscale and in situ. In this review, we provide a brief overview on the recent study on nanoscale magnetization modulation driven by electric field-induced migration of ionic species either within the switching material or from external sources. The formation of magnetic conductive filaments that exhibit magnetoresistance behaviors in resistive switching memory via foreign metal ion migration and redox activities is also discussed. Combining the magnetoresistance and quantized conductance switching of the magnetic nanopoint contact structure may provide a future high-performance device for non-von Neumann computing architectures.

We review progress studying unique plasmonics in topological insulators (TIs). First, we describe exfoliation and deposition synthesis approaches. TI materials have substantially improved: it is now possible to grow samples with few trivial electrons and controllable doping. We then describe the theory behind the unique behavior of the coupled, 2D Dirac plasmons. While reviewing experimental efforts, we note that Dirac plasmons have been conclusively demonstrated in TIs and they show remarkable properties including long lifetimes, large mode indices, and huge modulation depths. Finally, we describe the opportunities that are present now that high-quality materials can be obtained, including spin and nanoparticle plasmons.

The ferroelectricity in fluorite-structure oxides such as hafnia and zirconia has attracted increasing interest since 2011. They have various advantages such as Si-based complementary metal oxide semiconductor-compatibility, matured deposition techniques, a low dielectric constant and the resulting decreased depolarization field, and stronger resistance to hydrogen annealing. However, the wake-up effect, imprint, and insufficient endurance are remaining reliability issues. Therefore, this paper reviews two major aspects: the advantages of fluorite-structure ferroelectrics for memory applications are reviewed from a material's point of view, and the critical issues of wake-up effect and insufficient endurance are examined, and potential solutions are subsequently discussed.

This article reviews the semiconductor and metal-based nanohybrid-sensitized photoelectrochemical (PEC) cells for hydrogen generation from water. The nanoscale hybridization of sensitizers in the photoanode can enhance light harvesting, interfacial charge transfer, charge separation, and induce a catalytic effect in dependence on the kind of the components and interfacial junction state. Subsequent to the introduction, second and third sections present the basic structure and design of the nanohybrid-sensitized PEC cell. Fourth section deals with the effect of the interfacial bond between quantum dots and TiO2 on the electron injection process. Fifth section mainly describes the formation of heteroepitaxial junction between the components of nanohybrids. In the sixth section, the state-of-the-art nanohybrid-sensitized PEC cells are treated with a particular emphasis placed on the interface state.

The flow of particles through confined volumes has appeared under different contexts in nature and technology. Some examples include the flow of red blood cells or drug delivery vehicles through capillaries, or surfactant-based particles in nano- or microfluidic cells. The molecular composition of the particles along with external conditions and the characteristics of the confined volume impact the response of the particle to flow. This review focuses on the problem of phospholipid vesicles constrained to flowing in channels. The review examines how experimental and computational approaches have been harnessed to study the response of these particles to the flow.

Effective degradation of organic pollutants in wastewater is of great importance to the environment and human society. TiO2-based electrospun nanofibrous materials combining the properties of the large specific surface area, high aspect ratio, tunable compositions and structures, as well as easy to recycle, show great promise for the efficient removal of organic pollutants. In this Prospective paper, the recent progress in the degradation of organic water contaminants over visible-light-responsive TiO2-based nanofibrous materials is summarized, with emphasis on the strategies for improving the visible-light photocatalytic activity of TiO2-based nanofibrous materials. Finally, the current challenges and future outlook in this field are discussed.

The ability to manipulate matter on the nanometer length scale is an important scientific goal, and the progress in the field of colloidal nanocrystal (NC) growth in the past decades has opened avenue for controlled synthesis of nanoscale materials with many unique physical properties that could enhance existing technologies or give rise to entirely new technologic applications. At the center of the progress is ever-increasing understanding on molecular interactions within colloidal synthesis, in which nucleation and growth each plays a critical role in the control of size, shape, morphology, and structure of NCs. Semiconductor NCs in quantum confinement regime, referred to as quantum dots (QDs), highlight the importance of such control over geometric parameters, since QDs exhibit size- and shape-dependent optical properties. In this paper, we demonstrate important aspects that govern QDs growth in the context of (i) precursor conversion chemistry, and (ii) intermediate species including molecular complex and clusters. Advances in understanding the growth chemistry of QDs have proved the significance of how precursors decompose and produce intermediate species. We review recent progress in regards to the synthetic chemistry of colloidal QDs and discuss our perspective on challenges and promises in the controlled large-scale synthesis of QDs.

Biomineralization is a natural concept to alter the mechanical properties of soft matter. Mimicking this concept became desirable with a resulting great variety of approaches toward realizing functional hybrid materials. Vapor-phase infiltration (VPI), a solvent-free approach, is complementary to solution-based processes and often provides hybrid materials with a different chemical nature. This article overviews the evolution of VPI from a curiosity-driven alternative way to mimic biomineralization toward its application in functional materials design. Even though still in infancy, the rapidly growing interest shows promise for upcoming innovative applications of VPI in a great variety of research and development directions.

Lattice resonances in nanoparticle arrays recently have gained a lot of attention because of the possibility to produce spectrally narrow resonant features in transmission and reflection as well as significantly increase absorption in the structures. Most of the efforts so far have been put to study these lattice resonances in dipole approximation. However, the recent research shows that higher multipoles not only produce resonant feature but are also involved in cross-coupling, affect each other, and induce a magnetoelectric response. In the present paper, we review the recent achievements in studying interplay and coupling of different multipoles in periodic nanoparticle arrays and share our vision on further progress of the field.

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is regarded as a viable material for water oxidation due to various benefits such as visible light absorption, low production cost, and resistance to photocorrosion. Recently, numerous attempts have been adopted to improve the performance of BiVO4. In this work, we highlight the important strategies that have been made for improving the performance of the photoanode material, such as fabricating nanostructured electrode, controlling reacting facet, stacking with other materials, utilizing plasmonics, loading co-catalyst, and controlling the interfacial band bending with ferroelectrics. Taking advantage of the strategies, highly efficient BiVO4 photoelectrodes could be demonstrated. Finally, we discuss the perspective of BiVO4-based photoanodes.

The goal of this study is to examine whether participation in high school research apprenticeships increases pursuit of degrees and careers in science, and to explore other apprenticeship benefits. Students who participated in a research apprenticeship were surveyed about its influence on their undergraduate, graduate, and professional decisions. A control group who attended the same high schools, had similar grade point averages, and graduated with the apprenticeship participants was also surveyed. It was found that a significantly higher fraction of the apprenticeship group majored in Science, Math, Engineering, and Technology (STEM) fields, pursued careers in STEM disciplines, and found the experience to strategically influence their job performance.