Nature Reviews Materials最新文献

Some of the highest-performance materials in nature, including spider silk and collagen, are formed through protein self-assembly. These natural materials, which combine function, performance and assembly under mild aqueous conditions, have inspired a generation of technologically useful biomaterials that use natural proteins as the molecular building blocks. The shift from oil-based feedstocks towards renewable materials has accelerated the search for plastic replacements and has stimulated work in the two major classes of abundant natural polymers, proteins and polysaccharides. Whereas polysaccharides are already used in areas from packaging to structural applications, the unique properties of proteins have not yet been fully harnessed for renewable materials. Advances over the past 15 years have highlighted the promise of protein systems for high-performance applications, enabled by a fundamental understanding of polypeptide self-assembly, emerging computational methods such as artificial intelligence, feedstocks, and materials processing. In this Review, we highlight developments in this area and provide a perspective on the potential of this important class of molecules in both fundamental materials science and sustainability.

The development of low-cost and high-performance organic photovoltaic (OPV) materials is currently a major focus of research in the OPV field because the material costs of state-of-the-art OPV cells are prohibitive for industrialization. When analysing state-of-the-art OPV materials, including polymer electron donors and small-molecule electron acceptors, the main prerequisites for high photovoltaic performance, including optoelectronic and morphological properties, are quite clear. However, low-cost materials, consisting of simpler building blocks with fewer chemical substitution positions, present challenges in simultaneously obtaining desirable optoelectronic and morphological properties. In this Review, we first summarize key factors in the molecular design of high-performance OPV materials. Subsequently, we discuss research progress and challenges faced in the molecular design of low-cost materials. Finally, we outline key thoughts and insights related to the molecular design of future low-cost OPV materials with a focus on efficiency and stability.

The pace of electrification is surging, and recycling is key towards a circular battery life cycle. However, as the usage of lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) expands in modern technologies and ever more complex elements are incorporated, complicated degradation behaviours are introduced, posing challenges for recycling. Metallurgy-based material extraction methods are independent of the complexity of materials decay but at the cost of compromised economic and environmental sustainability. Although direct regeneration is expected to reduce the environmental impact of recycling and improve its economic benefits, it cannot properly deal with failure at different scales and parameters. To effectively manage the growing stream of spent LIBs, strategies on multiple fronts are imperative. Recent developments in recycling mechanisms have highlighted the importance of understanding battery failure mechanisms to achieve environmentally friendly and sustainable recycling practices. In this Review, failure mechanisms in state-of-the-art LIBs are discussed from the particle scale to the cell scale, offering insights for navigating recycling efforts. Recent advancements in material extraction and direct regeneration are summarized, and perspectives on the most pressing challenges for recycling, optimization of recycling processes, and recycling strategies for next-generation batteries are offered.

Photovoltaic (PV) technology is crucial for the transition to a carbon-neutral and sustainable society. In this Review, we provide a comprehensive overview of PV materials and technologies, including mechanisms that limit PV solar-cell and module efficiencies. First, we introduce the PV effect and efficiency losses within the framework of the Shockley–Queisser model for solar-to-electrical power conversion. However, all PV technologies fall short of these idealizations in various aspects, from incomplete sunlight absorption to the loss of photocurrent and photovoltage caused by the recombination of photogenerated charge carriers in the cells. Approaching the efficiency limits of PV technology requires material innovations and device designs that minimize these losses. Solar-cell research and development presents several solutions to these problems that are intimately related to the properties of the specific PV materials. To increase efficiencies beyond the Shockley–Queisser limit (around 33%) for a single junction, research has focused on producing multi-junction solar cells. Although these cells do provide higher efficiencies, there are differences in performance between individual cells and full modules in single-junction technologies when integrated into multi-junction configurations, highlighting the challenges in moving from laboratory experiments to commercial products.

Volumetric 3D printing enables the rapid fabrication of centimetre-scale objects, with the fastest techniques requiring only a few seconds. Having emerged during the past 7 years, this new family of technologies is posed to revolutionize additive manufacturing, fabricating objects and functional parts in a layerless fashion directly within a vat of material in response to optical and acoustic fields. Modern volumetric 3D printing methods are overcoming many challenges inherent to conventional layer-by-layer approaches, the standard in research and industry for the past 40 years. This Review focuses on identifying upcoming challenges and research directions in materials chemistry and process engineering to move volumetric 3D printing from its infancy to its broader adoption. Recent advances include the development of techniques based on optical tomography, light and acoustic holography, xolography, multiwavelength and upconversion-mediated printing, as well as the introduction of materials with custom-designed properties. Promising applications in the development of optical and photonic components, rapid prototyping, soft robotics and bioprinting of living cells are discussed along with a vision for the evolution of volumetric manufacturing towards a broadly accessible technology platform.