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Energy Environ. Sci., 2025, Advance Article
DOI: 10.1039/D5EE01464F, Paper Open Access &nbsp This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 3.0 Unported Licence.Péter Gyenes, Angelika A. Samu, Dorottya Hursán, Viktor Józó, Andrea Serfőző, Balázs Endrődi, Csaba Janáky
Electrochemical reduction of CO2 is envisioned to play a role in closing the artificial carbon cycle. Continuously ensuring optimal amount of cations and water at the catalyst surface allows high performance durable operation.
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Nanoscale thermodynamics

Abstract not available

• Speaker: Andrew Briggs, Department of Materials, The University of Oxford
• Thursday 06 November 2025, 15:00-16:00
• Venue: Seminar Room West, Room A0.015, Ray Dolby Centre, Cavendish Laboratory.
• Series: Physics and Chemistry of Solids Group; organiser: Stephen Walley.

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Challenges and opportunities in understanding the dynamic behaviour of engineering materials under complex loading paths

In the automotive and transportation sectors, engineering materials are frequently subjected to impulsive loading during collision events. Understanding their behaviour under such conditions is essential for designing safer, more impact-resilient structures. However, current research often overlooks critical factors, such as the combined influence of complex loading paths, strain rate, and environmental conditions.

This seminar will explore two key areas: (i) state-of-the-art experimental techniques for investigating the behaviour of lightweight materials under complex loading and environmental conditions; and (ii) the potential of controlling stress wave synchronisation and timing, alongside data-driven modelling approaches.

• Speaker: Antonio Pellegrino, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Bath
• Thursday 20 November 2025, 15:00-16:00
• Venue: Seminar Room West, Room A0.015, Ray Dolby Centre, Cavendish Laboratory.
• Series: Physics and Chemistry of Solids Group; organiser: Stephen Walley.

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Nanoscale thermodynamics

Abstract not available

• Speaker: Andrew Briggs, Department of Materials, The University of Oxford
• Thursday 13 November 2025, 15:00-16:00
• Venue: The Cluster Room, A0.022, Ray Dolby Centre, Cavendish Laboratory.
• Series: Physics and Chemistry of Solids Group; organiser: Stephen Walley.

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Cambridge RNA Club - ONLINE

TBA

• Speaker: Dr. Daniela Palacios (PI, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, IT), Dr. Arash Latifkar (Postdoc, Whitehead Institute for Biomedical Research, MIT, Cambridge, USA), TBA
• Thursday 17 July 2025, 17:00-19:00
• Venue: Online (Zoom).
• Series: Cambridge RNA Club; organiser: Bianca Pierattini.

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Nature Materials, Published online: 16 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41563-025-02266-y

Unconventional spin–orbit torque generated by a low-symmetry topological semimetal enables purely electrical switching of the perpendicular magnetic octupole in a chiral antiferromagnet.

Nature Nanotechnology, Published online: 16 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41565-025-01956-7

In the presence of complementary short oligonucleotide strands within synthetic DNA condensates, a striking mode of molecular transport is observed, revealing a sharp, wave-like diffusion front driven by phase-swelling effects and transitions in the material state of the condensates.

Nature Nanotechnology, Published online: 16 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41565-025-01955-8

Arrays of silicon nanoneedles are used to generate molecular replicas of live brain tissue for longitudinal spatial lipidomic classification via desorption electrospray ionization mass spectrometry imaging of gliomas and to monitor the responses of the tumours to chemotherapy.

Nature Nanotechnology, Published online: 16 June 2025; doi:10.1038/s41565-025-01952-x

NICER is a broad-spectrum nanovaccine based on a nanovesicle system that can induce an effective immune response via epigenetic regulation to target both cancer stem-like cells and bulk tumour cells to prevent tumour recurrence.

Nanoscale thermodynamics

Abstract not available

• Speaker: Andrew Briggs, Department of Materials, The University of Oxford
• Thursday 13 November 2025, 15:00-16:00
• Venue: The Cluster Room, Ray Dolby Centre, Cavendish Laboratory.
• Series: Physics and Chemistry of Solids Group; organiser: Stephen Walley.

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Title TBC

Abstract TBC

• Speaker: Dr. Manu Parra-Royón (IAA-CSIC)
• Tuesday 08 July 2025, 11:15-12:00
• Venue: TBC.
• Series: Hills Coffee Talks; organiser: Charles Walker.

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A high-performance, flexible, tunable, and non-aging mixed matrix membrane platform is developed by incorporating CHA zeolites, featuring a 3D pore system with precise molecular-sieving and tunable chemical interactions, into a polyimide matrix at exceptionally high loadings. This tunable membrane platform significantly outperforms state-of-the-art membranes across a wide range of critical applications and can be beneficial for next-generation molecular separation membrane developments with vast industrial potential.

Abstract

Membrane technology offers substantial economic and environmental benefits for energy-intensive chemical separations. Chabazite-type zeolite, possessing a 3-D channel system with molecular-sieving windows, can be an ideal membrane material, but conditions to synthesize zeolite-only membranes limit optimization strategies. Guided by advanced quantum chemistry calculations on inner-pore molecular interactions, zeolite properties are tailored for different separations and optimized particles incorporated in polyimide at very high loadings. A membrane platform is thus created that largely outperforms state-of-the-art membranes for a broad variety of industry-relevant applications, that is, carbon capture, natural gas/biogas purification, hydrocarbon, helium and hydrogen recovery. Accurate size-sieving of gas molecules is realized together with rational determination of optimal gas-zeolite interactions. Crucial for industrial applications, these well-tuned membranes displayed excellent non-aging properties, high flexibility and higher mixed-gas selectivities than ideal-gas selectivities. Moreover, they performed even better at low CO2-partial pressure in CO2-removal and can be made humidity-insensitive.

A robust hydrophobic and high-surface-charge phosphate interphase dramatically fosters uniform Zn deposition at the (100) plane, realizing an unprecedented Sand's capacity of over 64 mAh cm−2. The synergy of a narrower Zn2⁺-rich electric double layer and suppressed side reactions delivers stable Zn metal batteries with high areal capacity, long lifespan, and practical viability.

Abstract

Commercial zinc metal batteries require an areal capacity above 4 mAh cm−2 at high rates. However, such performance is rarely reported due to slow mass transport between the diffuse layer and the outer Helmholtz layer at the interface. Herein, it is reported an unprecedented Sand's capacity exceeding 64 mAh cm−2 at 20 mA cm−2, enabled by a hydrophobic and high surface charge iron/zinc phosphate (FZP) nanofilm serving as an artificial solid electrolyte interphase for zinc anode. It is identified the key role of high surface charge with strong Zn2⁺ affinity, which mitigates depletion zones by forming a narrower and Zn2+-rich electric double layer, thereby achieving high areal capacities and promoting preferential exposure of the Zn (100) plane. Consequently, FZP/Zn exhibits stable cycling for 400 h under 60% depth-of-discharge (2.14 mAh cm−2). Full cells with a low N/P ratio deliver an energy density of 176.5 Wh kg−1 electrodes at 6 mAh cm−2. The practical Zn-I2 pouch cells are further demonstrated with ≈97 Ah of cumulative capacity and a high areal capacity of 5.12 mAh cm−2. These findings establish FZP nanofilms as a viable strategy for realizing commercial high-areal-capacity aqueous zinc-ion batteries.

Al–Mg–Ni inert co-doping synergistically enhances structural stability of LiCoO2 at highly delithiated state, with Mg/Ni stabilizing Li layers and suppressing oxygen loss, while Al reinforcing Co–O octahedra, giving a capacity retention of 58.6% after 600 cycles at 4.7 V.

Abstract

LiCoO2 (LCO) has long dominated the cathode materials in portable electronic batteries due to its high volumetric energy density. However, the pursuit of higher voltages to achieve larger capacities remains a challenge due to severer structural degradation. Herein, a ternary inert element co-doping strategy that can greatly improve the structure stability of LCOs at elevated voltages is reported. Mg and Ni doping at Li site support the layered structure in the highly delithiated state, while Ni also facilitates the separation of O 2p and Co 3d orbits, thereby suppressing oxygen loss. Meanwhile, Al doping at Co site suppresses the distortion of Co–O octahedra and stabilizes the Co layers. The synergistic effects of Al, Mg and Ni co-doping inhibit the irreversible H3–H1-3 phase transitions and mitigate internal stress accumulation. The Al–Mg–Ni co-doped LCO exhibits a capacity of 221 mAh g−1 with a capacity retention of 65.5% after 1500 cycles at 4.6 V. At a higher voltage of 4.7 V, it delivers a capacity of 225.8 mAh g−1 with a capacity retention of 58.6% after 600 cycles. This multiple inert elements co-doping strategy gives an effective method for stabilizing the high-voltage LCO and other related layered oxide materials.

A flame-spray-pyrolysis method is presented to synthesize ultra-bright CTS nanosheets with tunable NIR-II emission. Achieving quantum yields up to 34%, these materials support high-speed imaging and enable super-resolution in vivo applications such as transcranial microcirculation mapping and macrophage tracking.

Abstract

Expanding fluorescence bioimaging into the second near-infrared spectrum (NIR-II, 1000–1700 nm) unlocks advanced possibilities for diagnostics and therapeutics, offering superior tissue penetration and resolution. 2D copper tetrasilicate (CTS) pigments (MCuSi4O10, M = Ca, Sr, Ba) are known for their brightness and stability, yet synthetic challenges have curbed their integration into bioimaging. Here, flame-spray-pyrolysis (FSP) is introduced as a versatile and scalable synthesis approach to produce ultra-bright, metastable CTS nanosheets (NS) by annealing multi-element metal oxide nanoparticles into 2D crystals through calcination or laser irradiation. Group-II ion incorporation shifts emission into the NIR-II range, with Ba0.33Sr0.33Ca0.33CuSi4O10 peaking at 1007 nm, while minor Mg-doping induces a hypsochromic shift and extends fluorescence lifetimes. The engineered CTS achieves quantum yields of up to 34%, supporting NS high-frame-rate imaging (> 200 fps). These unique properties enable CTS-NS to serve as powerful contrast agents for super-resolution NIR bioimaging, demonstrated in vivo through transcranial microcirculation mapping and macrophage tracking in mice using diffuse optical localization imaging (DOLI). This pioneering synthesis strategy unlocks wavelength-tunable NS for advanced NIR-II bioimaging applications.

Porogen-integrated rapid oxidation (PiRO) is a method for high throughput manufacturing of mesoporous metal oxide thin films. PiRO generates up to 500 nm thick layers with through-plane 5–10 nm spheroidal close-packed pores at 230 °C in 30 min or less. The reduced temperatures enable deposition on both rigid and flexible polymeric substrates using roll-to-roll compatible techniques.

Abstract

Structured metal oxide films have promise in optoelectronics, sensing, energy storage, and catalysis but their uptake is predominately limited due to their long and high-temperature syntheses. Here, a self-assembling polymer is used which can act as a chelating fuel source in a solution combustion reaction to generate highly structured mesoporous aluminum oxide films at <250 °C in a matter of minutes through a process termed porogen-integrated rapid oxidation (PiRO). The resulting films with thicknesses up to 500 nm show an open-cell, face-centered cubic structure of spheroidal pores. Further, an additional ligand can be included to control the self-assembly step to yield both through-film ordering or tunable disordering for increased pore volume as confirmed by both grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering and ellipsometry. Finally, roll-to-roll manufacturing with PiRO is demonstrated on flexible polymeric substrates. The method offers a tunable, scalable, low-temperature, and lower-cost method to generate large-area structured mesoporous metal oxide films.

Inspired by nautiluses, a scalable robotic jet swimmer is developed, featuring a soft chamber that buckles instantly to amplify jetting speed. It demonstrates the successful integration of smart materials and smart structures in a robotic system, offering a promising pathway for developing efficient, adaptable, and intelligent underwater soft robots.

Abstract

Cephalopods, such as squid and nautilus, achieve fast swimming by jetting water swiftly from their chambers, offering benefits in swimming speed, energy efficiency, and silent operation. Inspired by these animals, a scalable soft robotic jet swimmer that utilizes soft chamber buckling to enable rapid water jetting is proposed. The design incorporates three main components: the knotted artificial muscle (KAM), an origami-inspired soft chamber, and a custom control module. The KAM generates significant force and stroke with minimal self-weight, but its actuation speed is insufficient for propelling water. To address this limit, an origami-inspired soft chamber that buckles instantly when the KAM's pulling force reaches a critical threshold is designed, thereby amplifying actuation speed and enabling rapid water jetting. The control module periodically activates the KAM to tighten and release, facilitating effective pulsatile propulsion. Similar to Cephalopods, this design is scalable and robust. Effective swimming of two robots is demonstrated with drastically different sizes, achieving a top speed of 0.62 body length per second. We also show that the propulsion is minimally compromised even when the KAM is significantly damaged. To further enable guided locomotion, a shape memory alloy rudder is incorporated for steering via infrared stimulation. This work demonstrates successful pulsatile jet swimming through the integration of smart materials and smart structures, laying the groundwork for future innovations in underwater soft robotics.

3D flow-focusing devices are an ideal platform for the processing and integration of functional materials within polymeric matrices. In this article, A. Tuan Ngo, D. Aguilà, T. Sotto Mayor, M. Palacios-Corella, J. Puigmartí-Luis show the on-the-fly processing of a prototypical SCO material—known for its challenging processability—thereby opening new avenues for its implementation in real-world applications.

Abstract

Spin-crossover (SCO) molecular-based switches have shown promise across a range of applications since their discovery, including sensing, information storage, actuators, and displays. Yet limited processability remains a barrier to their real-world implementation, as traditional methods for integrating SCO materials into polymer matrices are often complex, expensive, and prone to producing uneven material distributions. Herein, we demonstrate how 3D flow-focusing chemistry enables unprecedented control for the direct fabrication of SCO composite materials, addressing key challenges in processability, scalability, and cost. By using a 3D coaxial flow-focusing microfluidic device, we simultaneously synthesize [Fe(Htrz)2(trz)](BF4) and achieve its homogeneous incorporation into alginate fibers in a continuous manner. The device’s versatility allows for precise manipulation of the reaction-diffusion (RD) zone, resulting in SCO composite fibers with tunable physicochemical and magnetic properties. Additionally, we demonstrate the ability to isolate these fibers as freestanding architectures and highlight the potential for printing them with defined shapes. Finally, we show that the 3D control of the RD zone granted by continuous flow microfluidic devices offers precise spatiotemporal control over the distribution of SCO complexes within the fibers, effectively encoding SCO materials into them. SCO-encoded fibers can seamlessly combine adaptability and functionality, offering innovative solutions for application-specific customization.

For the instant and sustainable fixation of bone fragments in treating highly comminuted fractures, phase engineering is employed to construct a homogeneous hard-soft biphasic bone adhesive (PTN). The conversion of tetracalcium phosphate in the hard phase and the deposition of hydroxyapatite in the soft phase endow its anti-swelling and mechanical resistance while adapting to the interfacial changes for sustainable adhesion.

Abstract

Bone adhesives provide remarkable clinical solutions in treating highly comminuted fractures that are difficult to perform surgery with metal fixation. However, no commercial bone adhesives exhibit high adhesion, strength, and osteogenic activity for instant and sustainable fixation in dynamic, wet humoral environments at weight-bearing sites. Here, phase engineering is employed to construct a homogeneous hard-soft biphasic bone adhesive (HB-PTN) with a sea urchin-inspired structure of phosphorylated polyglutamic acid (P-PGA) encapsulating tetracalcium phosphate (TTCP) (hard phase) and a viscoelastic hydrogel composed of amino-functionalized PEGylated poly (glycerol sebacate) (PEGS-NH2) and P-PGA (soft phases) for immediate, stable fixation. The adhesion and strength of the HB-PTN hydrogel can be tuned by modulating the soft phase/hard phase ratio. The PTN-2 hydrogel exhibited an adhesive strength of ≈280 kPa, a compressive modulus of ≈1.02 MPa, and high fatigue resistance (92%). Moreover, the PTN-2 hydrogel showed limited swelling (130%) and maintained mechanical properties (102%) after immersion in simulated human body fluid. Furthermore, this strategy avoids the agglomeration of inorganic particles and the formation of cracks due to stress concentration observed with traditional mixing methods. In vivo, the PTN adhesives reveal durable and stable adhesion and accelerate fracture healing, demonstrating great clinical potential in comminuted fracture repair.

This study presents soft morphing matter robots that exhibit extremely high morphological adaptability and complex multimodal electric field response. They can undergo large, controlled body deformation and show complex locomotion on different terrains under the manipulation of external electric fields, making a significant step beyond current electroactive and soft robots.

Abstract

The manipulation of soft morphing robots using external electric fields and wireless control is challenging. Electric field-driven soft morphing matter, termed electro-morphing gel (e-MG), that exhibits complex multimodal large-scale deformation (showing up to 286% strain, and strain rates up to 500% s−1) and locomotion under external electric fields applied using compact and lightweight electrodes is presented. The distinctive capabilities of e-MG derive from the combination of an elastomeric matrix and nanoparticulate paracrystalline carbon. The material properties, electroactive principle, and control strategies are explored and demonstrate fundamental morphing matter behaviors including rotating, translating, stretching, spreading, bending, and twisting. A range of potential bio-inspired applications, including slim mold-like spreading, snail-like jumping over a gap, object transport, wall climbing, and a frog tongue-inspired gripper is shown. The e-MG provides morphing capabilities beyond the current limitations in wireless control for a wide range of applications in soft and bio-inspired robotics, dexterous manipulation, and space exploration.