Pub Date : 2026-01-28DOI: 10.1038/s41578-025-00889-w
John S. McCaskill, Vineeth K. Bandari, Saskia Schmidt, Oliver G. Schmidt
{"title":"Modular microrobotics transitioning from remote to on-board electronic control","authors":"John S. McCaskill, Vineeth K. Bandari, Saskia Schmidt, Oliver G. Schmidt","doi":"10.1038/s41578-025-00889-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-025-00889-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19081,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Materials","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":83.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146089701","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-27DOI: 10.1038/s41578-025-00857-4
Wenhua Zuo, Zaichun Liu, Andrew Dopilka, Ziqi Yang, Yuqi Li, Joseph Kubal, Haegyeom Kim, Fang Liu, Ping Liu, Anh T. Ngo, Johanna Nelson Weker, Zonghai Chen, Robert Kostecki, Julie Wulf-Knoerzer, Venkat Srinivasan, Yi Cui, Khalil Amine, Gui-Liang Xu
Sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) are increasingly becoming commercially viable alternatives to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), driven by sodium’s lower cost and greater resource availability. However, current NIB technology still falls short of established LIB systems, such as those based on LiFePO4, in both cost efficiency and energy density. Although since the early 2020s, industrial advances have raised NIB energy densities to around 175 Wh kg−1, performance remains limited by the relatively low specific capacity (typically 200–350 mAh g−1) and low tap density (0.3–1.0 g cm−3) of the prevailing hard carbon anodes. This Review analyses emerging anode materials that could unlock higher-energy and lower-cost NIBs, with a focus on high-capacity hard carbon and alloy-based systems. We discuss the latest progress, fundamental challenges and future directions in these anode materials across the key themes of electrode design, structure–property engineering and characterization. By offering forward-looking insights into the rational design and optimization of anode materials, this Review aims to accelerate the research and development of commercially viable NIBs and support the broader advancement of energy storage technologies. Sodium-ion batteries are promising low-cost alternatives to lithium-ion systems yet limited by underperforming anodes. This Review highlights advances and challenges in hard carbon and alloy-based anodes, outlining design strategies to boost capacity, stability and commercial viability of next-generation high-energy sodium-ion batteries.
钠离子电池（nib）正日益成为锂离子电池（lib）的商业可行替代品，因为钠的成本更低，资源可用性更高。然而，目前的NIB技术在成本效率和能量密度方面仍然低于现有的LIB系统，例如基于LiFePO4的LIB系统。尽管自20世纪20年代初以来，工业进步已将NIB能量密度提高到约175 Wh kg - 1，但性能仍然受到当前硬碳阳极相对较低的比容量（通常为200-350 mAh g - 1）和低接头密度（0.3-1.0 g cm - 3）的限制。本综述分析了新兴的阳极材料，这些材料可以解锁更高能量和更低成本的nib，重点是高容量硬碳和合金基系统。我们讨论了这些阳极材料在电极设计、结构性能工程和表征等关键主题上的最新进展、基本挑战和未来方向。通过对阳极材料的合理设计和优化提供前瞻性的见解，本综述旨在加速商业上可行的nib的研究和开发，并支持储能技术的更广泛进步。钠离子电池是锂离子系统的低成本替代品，但受到性能不佳的阳极的限制。本综述重点介绍了硬碳和合金基阳极的进展和挑战，概述了提高下一代高能钠离子电池容量、稳定性和商业可行性的设计策略。
{"title":"Next-generation anodes for high-energy and low-cost sodium-ion batteries","authors":"Wenhua Zuo, Zaichun Liu, Andrew Dopilka, Ziqi Yang, Yuqi Li, Joseph Kubal, Haegyeom Kim, Fang Liu, Ping Liu, Anh T. Ngo, Johanna Nelson Weker, Zonghai Chen, Robert Kostecki, Julie Wulf-Knoerzer, Venkat Srinivasan, Yi Cui, Khalil Amine, Gui-Liang Xu","doi":"10.1038/s41578-025-00857-4","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41578-025-00857-4","url":null,"abstract":"Sodium-ion batteries (NIBs) are increasingly becoming commercially viable alternatives to lithium-ion batteries (LIBs), driven by sodium’s lower cost and greater resource availability. However, current NIB technology still falls short of established LIB systems, such as those based on LiFePO4, in both cost efficiency and energy density. Although since the early 2020s, industrial advances have raised NIB energy densities to around 175 Wh kg−1, performance remains limited by the relatively low specific capacity (typically 200–350 mAh g−1) and low tap density (0.3–1.0 g cm−3) of the prevailing hard carbon anodes. This Review analyses emerging anode materials that could unlock higher-energy and lower-cost NIBs, with a focus on high-capacity hard carbon and alloy-based systems. We discuss the latest progress, fundamental challenges and future directions in these anode materials across the key themes of electrode design, structure–property engineering and characterization. By offering forward-looking insights into the rational design and optimization of anode materials, this Review aims to accelerate the research and development of commercially viable NIBs and support the broader advancement of energy storage technologies. Sodium-ion batteries are promising low-cost alternatives to lithium-ion systems yet limited by underperforming anodes. This Review highlights advances and challenges in hard carbon and alloy-based anodes, outlining design strategies to boost capacity, stability and commercial viability of next-generation high-energy sodium-ion batteries.","PeriodicalId":19081,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Materials","volume":"11 2","pages":"117-135"},"PeriodicalIF":86.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146089702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-27DOI: 10.1038/s41578-026-00894-7
Giulia Pacchioni
An article in Nature Communications reports high-performance intrinsically stretchable n-type transistors based on MoS2 flakes, achieving mobilities up to 12.5 cm2 V–1 s–1 and on/off ratios above 10⁷ under 20% strain.
{"title":"MoS2 transistors go stretchy","authors":"Giulia Pacchioni","doi":"10.1038/s41578-026-00894-7","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41578-026-00894-7","url":null,"abstract":"An article in Nature Communications reports high-performance intrinsically stretchable n-type transistors based on MoS2 flakes, achieving mobilities up to 12.5 cm2 V–1 s–1 and on/off ratios above 10⁷ under 20% strain.","PeriodicalId":19081,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Materials","volume":"11 2","pages":"89-89"},"PeriodicalIF":86.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146089756","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-27DOI: 10.1038/s41578-026-00891-w
Seon Joon Kim
Two-dimensional materials were once celebrated mainly for spectacular single-device demonstrations, but advances over the past decade have revealed that geometry, manufacturability and surface chemistry are equally decisive. Recognizing how structure, synthesis and interfaces work together is now reshaping two-dimensional materials engineering and opening new routes to scalable, reliable and application-ready systems.
{"title":"From wonder sheets to designed systems: the rise of engineerable 2D materials","authors":"Seon Joon Kim","doi":"10.1038/s41578-026-00891-w","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41578-026-00891-w","url":null,"abstract":"Two-dimensional materials were once celebrated mainly for spectacular single-device demonstrations, but advances over the past decade have revealed that geometry, manufacturability and surface chemistry are equally decisive. Recognizing how structure, synthesis and interfaces work together is now reshaping two-dimensional materials engineering and opening new routes to scalable, reliable and application-ready systems.","PeriodicalId":19081,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Materials","volume":"11 3","pages":"183-184"},"PeriodicalIF":86.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146089758","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-26DOI: 10.1038/s41578-025-00880-5
Jian Zhang (, ), Bhaskar Ghawri, Debopriya Dutta, Roman Fasel, Michel Calame, Gabriela Borin Barin, Mickael L. Perrin
Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) hold exceptional promise for next-generation nanoelectronics owing to their high carrier mobility, tunable bandgaps and customizable electronic structures. Bottom–up synthesis enables atomically precise fabrication, yielding tailored widths and edges that unlock remarkable properties such as sizable bandgaps, spin-polarized edge states and topological states crucial for quantum technologies. However, translating these nanoscale materials into functional devices faces substantial hurdles, including precise characterization, clean transfer, reliable electrical contacts and effective electrostatic control. This Review highlights recent progress in integrating bottom–up-synthesized GNRs into devices. It begins with an overview of the intrinsic material properties of GNRs and the most common synthesis methods, including on-surface synthesis, solution-phase synthesis and chemical vapour deposition techniques. It then explores device integration strategies by examining various device geometries used for incorporating GNRs into field-effect transistors and quantum-dot transistors. Particular attention is given to quantum transport phenomena observed in these devices, such as single-electron tunnelling, vibrational excitation effects, Franck–Condon blockade, and phase-coherent transport. Finally, we address persistent integration challenges, propose strategies to overcome them, and outline future research directions essential for advancing GNR-based nanoelectronics, spintronics and quantum information technologies. Graphene nanoribbons synthesized via bottom–up methods show great promise for nanoelectronics and quantum technologies. This Review highlights their synthesis, properties and device geometries, showcasing quantum transport phenomena and outlining challenges for future technologies.
{"title":"Bottom–up-synthesized graphene nanoribbons for nanoelectronics","authors":"Jian Zhang \u0000 (, ), Bhaskar Ghawri, Debopriya Dutta, Roman Fasel, Michel Calame, Gabriela Borin Barin, Mickael L. Perrin","doi":"10.1038/s41578-025-00880-5","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41578-025-00880-5","url":null,"abstract":"Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) hold exceptional promise for next-generation nanoelectronics owing to their high carrier mobility, tunable bandgaps and customizable electronic structures. Bottom–up synthesis enables atomically precise fabrication, yielding tailored widths and edges that unlock remarkable properties such as sizable bandgaps, spin-polarized edge states and topological states crucial for quantum technologies. However, translating these nanoscale materials into functional devices faces substantial hurdles, including precise characterization, clean transfer, reliable electrical contacts and effective electrostatic control. This Review highlights recent progress in integrating bottom–up-synthesized GNRs into devices. It begins with an overview of the intrinsic material properties of GNRs and the most common synthesis methods, including on-surface synthesis, solution-phase synthesis and chemical vapour deposition techniques. It then explores device integration strategies by examining various device geometries used for incorporating GNRs into field-effect transistors and quantum-dot transistors. Particular attention is given to quantum transport phenomena observed in these devices, such as single-electron tunnelling, vibrational excitation effects, Franck–Condon blockade, and phase-coherent transport. Finally, we address persistent integration challenges, propose strategies to overcome them, and outline future research directions essential for advancing GNR-based nanoelectronics, spintronics and quantum information technologies. Graphene nanoribbons synthesized via bottom–up methods show great promise for nanoelectronics and quantum technologies. This Review highlights their synthesis, properties and device geometries, showcasing quantum transport phenomena and outlining challenges for future technologies.","PeriodicalId":19081,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Materials","volume":"11 3","pages":"194-212"},"PeriodicalIF":86.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146048348","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-20DOI: 10.1038/s41578-026-00890-x
Ariane Vartanian
Recycling rarely fails for simple reasons. New York City’s system is a case study in the dynamics and compromises that shape urban recycling, and why cities cannot optimize everything at once.
{"title":"Why urban recycling is harder than it seems","authors":"Ariane Vartanian","doi":"10.1038/s41578-026-00890-x","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41578-026-00890-x","url":null,"abstract":"Recycling rarely fails for simple reasons. New York City’s system is a case study in the dynamics and compromises that shape urban recycling, and why cities cannot optimize everything at once.","PeriodicalId":19081,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Materials","volume":"11 2","pages":"79-81"},"PeriodicalIF":86.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146033494","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-19DOI: 10.1038/s41578-025-00879-y
Alexander G. Squires, Seán R. Kavanagh, Aron Walsh, David O. Scanlon
{"title":"Guidelines for robust and reproducible point defect simulations in crystals","authors":"Alexander G. Squires, Seán R. Kavanagh, Aron Walsh, David O. Scanlon","doi":"10.1038/s41578-025-00879-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41578-025-00879-y","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19081,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Materials","volume":"273 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":83.5,"publicationDate":"2026-01-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146033495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-16DOI: 10.1038/s41578-025-00887-y
Jun Ding
High-entropy alloys were once thought to owe their exceptional properties to complete chemical disorder, but advances over the past decade revealed that subtle forms of atomic order are widespread and often essential. Recognizing how order and disorder work together is now reshaping alloy design and opening new routes to stronger, tougher and more reliable materials.
{"title":"Order or disorder, that is the question in high-entropy alloys","authors":"Jun Ding","doi":"10.1038/s41578-025-00887-y","DOIUrl":"10.1038/s41578-025-00887-y","url":null,"abstract":"High-entropy alloys were once thought to owe their exceptional properties to complete chemical disorder, but advances over the past decade revealed that subtle forms of atomic order are widespread and often essential. Recognizing how order and disorder work together is now reshaping alloy design and opening new routes to stronger, tougher and more reliable materials.","PeriodicalId":19081,"journal":{"name":"Nature Reviews Materials","volume":"11 2","pages":"82-83"},"PeriodicalIF":86.2,"publicationDate":"2026-01-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"146148351","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
京公网安备 11010802042870号
京ICP备2023020795号-1
扫码关注我们
求助内容：
应助结果提醒方式：