News & Comment

An article in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces reports a 3D-printed, metal–organic framework-coated respiratory filter that both allows airflow and catalytically destroys chemical warfare agents.

An article in Nature Communications presents a digital platform that integrates the design, fabrication and optimization of catalytic reactors, combining machine learning and 3D printing.

An article in Nature Communications reports a versatile platform for creating slippery surfaces with precise control over their structural topologies.

An article in Nature Communications presents an irregular growth strategy that generates disordered architected materials with excellent static mechanical cloaking and camouflage capabilities.

Extended producer responsibility is a policy approach that makes companies accountable for their products’ end of life. Nature Reviews Materials speaks with industrial ecologist Reid Lifset about how extended producer responsibility schemes work in practice, and whether they truly incentivize sustainable materials design, as intended.

mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles have gained recognition as a promising therapeutic platform against a wide range of diseases. However, a key component of mRNA-loaded lipid nanoparticles, the polyethylene glycol-conjugated lipid, presents inherent barriers to their therapeutic success. Emerging strategies are now offering potential ways to overcome these limitations.

The development of safer, cheaper and more durable all-solid-state batteries demands a fundamental rethinking of composite cathode design. All-in-one cathode materials that integrate ionic conductivity, electronic conductivity and redox activity within a single phase redefine battery architecture by unifying electrochemical roles in one material.

Horizon scanning is a strategic tool used by regulatory bodies to identify emerging technologies and guide decision-making. In its latest report on nanomedicines, the European Union Innovation Network presents key recommendations that illustrate the current dynamics between researchers and regulators and how strengthening this relationship could accelerate the translation of nanotechnology-based medicines into patient benefit.

Materials researchers are trained to innovate and create. But now that it is clear the world has too much stuff, what is the path forward?

Despite transformative advances in materials discovery, real-world performance still hinges on an often-overlooked variable: processing. To bridge the gap between discovery and deployment, processing must be elevated from an afterthought to a central pillar in design frameworks, data generation and machine learning.

The inability to observe the rapid, initial transformations that dictate nanomaterial fate constitutes a fundamental scientific gap, forcing risk assessments to rely on retrospective, incomplete data. A paradigm shift to real-time, operando characterization is vital to build the predictive understanding required for the development of safe and sustainable nanomaterials and applications.

Zeolites are widely used in catalysis and separation, yet their crystallization process remains poorly understood. Emerging tools have the potential to enable a multiscale understanding of how crystallization influences the structural features of zeolite materials, unlocking their precise control.

The construction industry consumes more than 40% of Earth’s raw material resources. It is time to rethink not just what we build, but how we value what is already built. Digital materials passports can help us to reuse and repurpose materials in the built environment, driving a shift towards a circular construction industry.

Deaf and hard-of-hearing scientists face invisible barriers throughout their scientific journeys, often shaped by pervasive attitudinal bias questioning their competence. Fostering mutual understanding and implementing actionable strategies help to dismantle unjust judgements based on physiological differences and create more inclusive scientific workplaces globally.

An article in Nature Communications reports a polymer coating with oil-repellent properties comparable to that of short-chain per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, but featuring single perfluorocarbon groups rather than longer and more toxic fluorocarbon chains.

An article in Nature Sustainability reports a strategy that improves the sustainability of ammonia recovery compared with conventional methods.

The transformation of municipal sludge into high-entropy single-atom catalysts offers not just a new materials synthesis route, but a new framework for how we conceive of waste, resource recovery and circularity.

An article in Science Advances reports a cryo-electron microscopy approach for the nanoscale imaging of dynamic interfaces in lithium metal batteries.

Current lithium-ion battery recycling extracts valuable metals while discarding much of the battery’s leftover value. An emerging strategy called direct battery regeneration upends this model, restoring the battery’s performance without taking it apart — presenting a more efficient, sustainable option for end-of-life batteries.