Themed collection Materials Horizons Emerging Investigators Series 2022/2023

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Our Emerging Investigator Series features exceptional work by early-career researchers working in the field of materials science.

Double-layered superhydrophobic fabrics with internal water-wicking channels are developed to maintain breathability and enhance textile comfort in wet conditions caused by both sweat and the rain.

We present a generalisable methodology based on fluorescent non-covalent mechanophores for producing quantitative maps of local strain around defects within three-dimensional polymeric matrices.

An amorphous–crystalline structure is utilized to suppress Ru leaching from the crystalline RuO₂ phase and simultaneously reduce the energy barrier of oxygen evolution.

Reactions of poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) with a rhodium catalyst and H-donors reveal how reaction conditions can impact the selectivity for chloride removal, with sodium formate showing the highest selectivity for hydrodechlorination.

The presence of a small amount of oligomer can induce ordering and crystallization of the parent conducting polymer, resulting in highly conductive, compositionally homogeneous crystals with defined molecular weights.

A simple yet powerful strategy of carrying out free radical polymerization of methacrylate monomers using a MOF-based initiator. The obtained composites maintain high catalytic activity towards a chemical warfare agent (CWA) simulant.

Using model analysis, we reveal that the sliding ferroelectricity will couple with A-type antiferromagnetism to form the layer-locked Berry curvature in valleytronic van der Waals bilayers, showing the observation of the long-sought LP-AHE.

We report a new paradigm, via a decoupled approach, in the design of acousto-mechanical multifunctional metamaterials.

An improved composite dielectric with an excellent high-temperature energy storage performance has been obtained by modulating the trap parameters.

Here we introduce for the first time a synthesis method of a core–shell photoanode composed of nanostructured self-standing titania nanotubes filled with Au nanowires. Photoanode shows high photon to current efficiency of 35% and incredible stability.

A material- and scale-independent ceramic self-shaping technique using heterogeneous green body compositions resulted in a rich set of shape changes. A model predicted shape change precisely and can serve as a design tool for future developments.

Through studying intermolecular interactions and kinetics in MR-TADF derivatives, spectral broadening and concentration quenching determined by excimer formation and triplet annihilation in their OLEDs are distinguished, respectively.

We present a photomemristive sensing concept based on light-induced charge storage in the 2D carbon nitride K-PHI. Our design enables memory sensing with tuneable dynamic concentration ranges, combined with diverse operation and readout modes.

A novel polarization-perceptual neuro-transistor with reconfigurable neuromorphic vision is proposed based on a 2D ReS₂ phototransistor. Polarized navigation with reconfigurable learning ability and 3D visual polarization imaging are experimentally demonstrated for the first time.

Using confocal traction force microscopy, we investigate the ice adhesion on soft elastomeric materials at unprecedented microscopic detail during the ice removal at different ice removal rates.

Room-temperature wavelength multiplexing of the two-primary bright excitonic channels (A_b-, B_b-) in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) arising from a dark exciton mediated transition.

A triboelectric nanogenerator based on bismuth tungstate (Bi₂WO₆):polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (P(VDF-TrFE)) is fabricated. It delivers an output voltage (open circuit) of 205 V and current density (short circuit) of 11.91 mA m⁻² at ∼0.15 kgf without any electric poling.