Mrs Bulletin最新文献

Our ability to measure and image biology at small scales has been transformative for developing a new generation of insect-scale robots. Because of their presence in almost all environments known to humans, insects have inspired many small-scale flying, swimming, crawling, and jumping robots. This inspiration has affected all aspects of the robots’ design, ranging from gait specification, materials properties, and mechanism design to sensing, actuation, control, and collective behavior schemes. This article highlights how insects have inspired a new class of small and ultrafast robots and mechanisms. These new robots can circumvent motors’ force-velocity tradeoffs and achieve high-acceleration jumping, launching, and striking through latch-mediated spring-actuated (LaMSA) movement strategies. In the article, we apply a solution-driven bioinspired design framework to highlight the process for developing LaMSA-inspired robots and systems, starting with understanding the key biological themes, abstracting them to solution-neutral principles, and implementing such principles into engineered systems. Throughout the article, we emphasize the roles of modeling, fabrication, materials, and integration in developing bioinspired LaMSA systems and identify critical future enablers such as integrative design approaches.

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The fabrication of heterostructures and superlattices, which governs charge transport in materials, traditionally relies on high-temperature epitaxial processes. However, van der Waals (vdW) integration, a bond-free approach, has emerged as a versatile and gentle alternative. It allows for the integration of dissimilar materials beyond the thermodynamic limits, preserving material integrity and optimizing device performance. This approach has been instrumental in creating high-performance contacts for delicate lead halide perovskites, enabling quantum transport studies at low temperatures. Additionally, vdW integration has led to the development of vdW superlattices, and the chiral molecular intercalation superlattice offers a platform for exploring exotic chiral-induced spin selectivity effect and unconventional superconductivity. Together, vdW integration offers precise control over material composition and electronic structure, paving the way for innovative devices and the exploration of emergent quantum phenomena, all at the atomic scale. This groundbreaking strategy holds immense potential for advancing fundamental physical investigations and technological possibilities.

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To power miniature mobile robots, the body structure must integrate actuators, sensing, wiring, an energy source, power converters, and computing. The system-level performance relies on the interplay among these complementary elements and the fabrication technologies that enable them. While new materials, fabrication, and bioinspired designs are enabling advancements toward insect-scale untethered and autonomous robots, challenges remain in achieving high power efficiency fast actuation and heterogeneous integration. This article overviews the state of the art, opportunities, and challenges covered in this issue of MRS Bulletin.

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Quantum information processing and quantum sensing is a central topic for researchers who are part of the Materials Research Society and the Quantum Staging Group is providing leadership and guidance in this context. We convened a workshop before the 2022 MRS Spring Meeting and covered four topics to explore challenges that need to be addressed to further promote and accelerate the development of materials with applications in quantum technologies. This article captures the discussions at this workshop and refers to the pertinent literature.

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Bioresorbable medical electronics represents an emerging class of implantable sensors and/or stimulators that can be absorbed harmlessly in the human body, eliminating the patients’ permanent loads and the needs for risky secondary removal surgeries. This article specifically highlights recent advances in organic encapsulans that govern the lifetime, mechanical and electrical stability of the bioresorbable electronic implants. The core content focuses on the physics and chemistry of bioresorbable polymers, spanning degradation mechanism, mechanical stretchablilty, water permeability, and interfacial adhesiveness, along with tissue adhesion. Following discussions highlight the use cases of these polymers as organic encapsulations in bioresorbable electronic implants with therapeutic purposes, including nerve regeneration, pain block, and temporary cardiac pacing. A concluding section summarizes research opportunities of organic materials for advanced bioresorbable electronic systems.

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Liquid phase (or liquid cell) transmission electron microscopy (TEM) has become a powerful platform for in situ investigation of various chemical processes at the nanometer or atomic level. The electron beam for imaging can also induce perturbation to the chemical processes. Thus, it has been a concern that the observed phenomena in a liquid cell could deviate from the real-world processes. Strategies have been developed to overcome the electron-beam-induced issues. This article provides an overview of the electron-beam effects, and discusses various strategies in liquid cell TEM study of nucleation, growth, and self-assembly of nanoscale materials, where an electron beam is often used to initiate the reactions, and highly electron-beam-sensitive electrochemical reactions.

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Based on historical developments and the current state of the art in gas-phase transmission electron microscopy (GP-TEM), we provide a perspective covering exciting new technologies and methodologies of relevance for chemical and surface sciences. Considering thermal and photochemical reaction environments, we emphasize the benefit of implementing gas cells, quantitative TEM approaches using sensitive detection for structured electron illumination (in space and time) and data denoising, optical excitation, and data mining using autonomous machine learning techniques. These emerging advances open new ways to accelerate discoveries in chemical and surface sciences.

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The advent of small-scale robots holds immense potential for revolutionizing various industries, particularly in the domains of surgery and operations within confined spaces that are currently inaccessible to conventional tools. However, their tethered nature and dependence on external power sources impede their progress. To surmount these challenges, the integration of batteries into these diminutive robots emerges as a promising solution. This article explores the integration of batteries in small-scale robots, focusing on “hard” and “soft” approaches. The challenges of integrating rigid batteries into microrobots are discussed. Various battery materials suitable for microfabrication are explored, along with creating three-dimensional structures to optimize performance within limited space. The “soft” integration emphasizes the need for flexible and deformable battery technologies that seamlessly integrate with soft robotic systems. Challenges related to flexibility, stretchability, and biocompatibility are addressed. The concept of distributed and mobile energy units, where smaller batteries assemble into a larger power bank, is proposed for scalability and adaptability. Extracting energy from the environment, inspired by fuel cells, reduces reliance on traditional batteries. This article offers valuable insights into battery integration for small-scale robots, propelling advancements in autonomous and versatile systems. By overcoming current limitations, integrated batteries will unlock the full potential of small-scale robots across various industries.

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