Themed collection Recent Review Articles

The reaction mechanism and various biological functions of rolling circle replication (RCR).

A comprehensive overview of recent advances in stretchable soft antenna systems, emphasizing material innovations, structural strategies, and system-level integration to enable robust performance in next-generation wearable and robotic platforms.

This minireview highlights recent breakthroughs and outstanding challenges in the programmable self-assembly of dynamic DNA superstructures with emergent, collective behaviors.

The recent significant advances in biphasic liquid metal-based soldering systems for stretchable hybrid devices are systematically reviewed, offering insights into their potential for advanced electronic integration.

Aqueous zinc (Zn) batteries (AZBs) are becoming promising candidates for grid-scale energy storage because of their inherent safety, cost-effectiveness, and high theoretical capacity.

This mini review summarizes the recent progress of Zn–V static battery and Zn–V redox flow battery. Mechanisms, classification and structures, problems and modification strategies are discussed for future developments of these batteries.

An overview of MeSNs for photo-enhanced chemodynamic theranostics of tumors is provided in this review, offering insights into their potential for next-generation cancer treatments.

This review summarizes the current research status of C14-HEAs for hydrogen storage, focusing on microstructural design strategies, manufacturing processes, hydrogen storage properties and their potential challenges and applications.

This review systematically explores the directional manipulation of bubble behavior on wettability gradient surfaces: the mechanisms, strategies, and applications.

Schematic of the thermoelectric conversion process and an outline of the various sensing applications of FTE materials and FTE devices.

This review summarizes the recent progress in the design and application of highly sensitive fluorescent probes for liver fibrosis.

This review outlines a roadmap for efficient electrocatalytic nitrate reduction to ammonia, analyzing Cu- and Co-based catalyst design, reaction mechanisms and paired electrolysis systems for transformative energy efficiency and process economics.

Overview of interfacial structure types and mechanical properties from different scale perspectives of AMCs.

ABO₂-type delafossites, distinguished by their layered crystalline framework, tunable quantum-enabled properties, and inherent sustainability, represent an emerging multifunctional material platform for next-generation photoelectronics.

Linking short-range disorder in high entropy oxides to emergent properties enable design rules for next-generation disordered materials.

This review highlights advances in integrating 2D materials with nematic liquid crystals, focusing on structure–property relationships, molecular alignment strategies, polymer networks, lyotropics, applications, and key challenges and opportunities.

The latest progress on synchronous reinforcement and toughening methods and mechanisms of thermosets is reviewed, and the development direction and challenges of high-performance thermosets are discussed.

Diverse structure–property relationships of liquid-like surfaces are explored, alongside their long-term anti/de-icing mechanisms, featuring integrated photothermal-transparent properties and promising future strategies.

Other than H₂ and O₂, water electrolysis can also be used for producing ozone for versatile applications. Here we report the recent advances on the relevant catalysts, categorized by material synthesis and types.

Photoelectrocatalytic (PEC) hydrogen production technology combines the advantages of photocatalysis and electrocatalysis and utilizes solar energy to drive water splitting, which is a technology for sustainable energy systems.

Magnetically responsive intelligent fibers integrate magnetic materials into flexible fiber architectures, enabling remote actuation, multimodal sensing, and self-powered operation for wearable electronics, robotics, biomedicine, and energy systems.

This review highlights recent advances in interface engineering for narrow-bandgap perovskite photodetectors, offering strategies to enhance response speed, stability, and spectral selectivity for low-cost, high-sensitivity near-infrared detection.

Composition, structures, functionalities, and applications of conductive polymer-based microwave absorption materials.

This review systematically summarizes the roles of different anions in nickel-based catalysts for the electro-oxidation of urea.

This review offers a systematic and practical guide to solid-state OECTs. We explore the different classes of solid electrolytes, key considerations in choosing an appropriate electrolyte, device architectures, applications, and current challenges.

Surface-mediated pathogen transmission remains a critical vector for infectious diseases, especially amidst biofilm-associated infections and rising antimicrobial resistance.

This work highlights the design of globular proteins into functional–mechanical materials, emphasizing advances in mechanical enhancement through molecular-to-macroscale strategies and their applications in both biomedical and non-biomedical fields.

This review systematically introduces the evolution of PDI-based photocatalytic systems, combined with modern synthesis methods and emphasis on structural/functional modifications to advance semiconductor photocatalysis for solar energy harvesting.

Colloidal systems provide real-space access to structural, dynamic, and mechanical descriptors, enabling physics-informed feature extraction and machine learning for predictive modeling of condensed matter.

We review how the motion of π-conjugated organic molecules on surfaces is shaped by physicochemical factors such as friction and molecule–surface interactions, revealing mechanisms that govern diffusion, dissipation, and nanoscale assembly.

In this review, we summarize recent breakthroughs in DNA nanotechnology-driven strategies for detecting EV-associated biomarkers (proteins, miRNA, mRNA, glycoRNA), addressing a pressing need for non-invasive diagnostic tools.

As a powerful single-molecule analysis tool, nanopore technology enables a wide range of practical applications, including genome sequencing, proteomics analysis, and detection of various viruses and related biomarkers.

DNA computing represents an innovative computational paradigm that leverages DNA molecules and spontaneous reactions. This review elucidates the advantages and development route based on DNA circuits and DNA data storage.

Pancatalytic biomaterials, via the P–A–N framework, exert multifunctional non-toxic therapeutic effects on inflammatory diseases across multiple organ systems.

Bacterial infections threaten global health. This work highlights bacterial membrane-coated nanoparticles (BMCNs) as safe, multifunctional nanoplatforms for efficient drug delivery, antibacterial applications, and tissue regeneration.

This review highlights pathological mechanisms of lubrication failure in osteoarthritis and explores nano/micro particle strategies—covering material design, particle types, modifications, and translational potential for OA therapy.

This review summarizes advances in in situ formed hydrogels for soft bioelectronics, highlighting formation mechanisms, application methods, functions with design considerations, emerging applications, and future perspectives for the field.

The TOC highlights the integration of triboelectric nanogenerators for powering soft robotic systems. The illustration emphasizes self-powered actuation, eliminating the need for external energy sources by mimicking natural movement, soft robotics.

Theoretical methods connecting chemical composition, structure, electronic properties and charge transport properties are reviewed with focus on the approaches used to connect between models at different resolutions.

This review systematically presents practical strategies for designing and fabricating carbon dot gels, while providing a comprehensive analysis of their applications in visual information storage.

This review highlights in situ SERS/Raman for dissecting complex reactions via spectral analysis. It covers species transformation and substrate evolution in various systems, and discusses statistical methods and future perspectives.

This review charts the rise of 2D ferroelectrics and their shift from fundamental physics to devices, enabling energy-efficient in-sensor computing, logic-in-memory, reservoir computing, and hardware security primitives like TRNGs and PUFs.

The storage and management of heat via thermochemical reactions can enhance energy efficiency and expedite decarbonization. Here, materials performance criteria are described for low-temperature applications such as the heating/cooling of buildings.

The tissue engineering strategy represents a balanced and dynamic approach that utilizes various tissue cells, bio-scaffolds and bio-agents (such as cells and drugs) to facilitate tissue repair and regeneration.

Nanozymes, an innovative class of biocatalytic nanomaterials, have emerged as transformative tools in cancer theranostics.

This review highlights recent advances in flexible OLED technologies tailored for biomedical applications, with emphasis on their current use in phototherapy and prospects in wearable healthcare.

Ensuring access to safe drinking water is a key global priority.

The piezoelectric phenomena observed in a wide range of materials from crystalline solids to 3D liquids are reviewed. Special emphasis is given to recent measurements of the piezoelectric responses of fluid ferroelectric nematic liquid crystals.

Insightfully connects low-cost poly(3-alkylthiophene) design with tailored morphology strategies for high-performance organic solar cells and photodetectors.

This review explores 3D-printed solvent-impregnated polymeric gels for advanced flexible sensors, emphasizing their fabrication, versatility, and future potential.

A comprehensive review of multifunctional MEMS/NEMS devices enabled by piezoelectric and ferroelectric effects, spanning sensors, resonators, energy harvesters, memory, and optoelectronic modulators.

Nanoformulation-based drug delivery systems for various gastric cancer treatment strategies.

This review explores laser-induced graphene as a versatile sensing material for multifunctional biomedical sensors, emphasizing its synthesis, properties, and advances in health monitoring and diagnostics.

Chinese herbal medicines (CHMs) can be categorised into decoctions and active ingredients. Nanotechnology and effective cerebral delivery strategies unlocked the potential of CHMs to treat central nervous system (CNS) diseases.

Hearing loss is a global health concern affecting hundreds of millions of individuals, with current interventions like hearing aids and cochlear implants offering only functional improvements rather than addressing the root causes.

Aptamer-based electrochemical biosensors (AEBs) have emerged as a highly promising platform for disease diagnostics, offering high specificity, sensitivity, and real-time detection capabilities.

Conceptual overview of 2D materials-based flash memory: architectures, materials, and applications.

Advances in chronic wearable biosignal acquisition are reviewed, emphasizing biointerfaces, wireless power, multimodal sensing, analytics, and challenges in epidermal turnover, accuracy, power and clinical translation.

MOFs, as cathodes, photocathodes, and solid-state electrolytes, greatly boost Li–O₂ battery performance by enhancing catalytic efficiency, safety, and energy density—paving the way for advanced, practical energy storage solutions.

This review categorizes PC-based structural color switches into four distinct approaches, establishing a mechanistic framework to analyze their stimulus-responsive behaviors and applications in sensors, anticounterfeiting, and display.

Recent advances in clay-based proton exchange membranes are reviewed, focusing on microstructural design and regulation of proton transport channels.

Polyimide-based “inert” components in LIBs include separators, solid-state electrolytes, protective layers, and binders.

Bridging biological neural systems and halide perovskite-based neuromorphic hardware for next-generation intelligent applications.

Surface engineering strategies, including surface modifications and surface composites, were classified and illustrated to promote photocatalytic H₂O₂ production.

This review provides a comprehensive overview of the latest breakthrough in 2D material-decorated devices in soft robotics: working principles, manufacturing approaches, challenges and opportunities.

The electrochemical reduction of carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a crucial step toward a sustainable carbon economy, enabling the conversion of greenhouse gases into valuable fuels and chemicals.

Selective-damping materials in skin-interfaced bioelectronics can absorb and dissipate vibrations, reducing motion artifacts and enhancing stability. This review highlights biosensing and shock-absorption applications and current challenges.

Inkjet printing offers a precise, scalable method for integrating perovskite quantum dots (PQDs) into LEDs. This review covers advances in PQD ink formulation, printing factors, film stability, and future prospects for industrial applications.

Synergy of carbon-based photo-bio-electrocatalysts and photocatalysis in fuels of the future, MFCs and MECs, is vital for sustainable living. This merging will revolutionize energy systems, paving the way for cleaner and efficient power generation.

AI and ML accelerate nanozyme design, optimizing its catalytic performance for biomedical, industrial, and environmental uses. Overcoming data and interpretability challenges, this data-driven approach enhances design efficiency and precision.