http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/rss/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1521-4095

Recent advances in ionic conductive textiles for wearable technology are summarized, with a focus on soft ionic conductors that exhibit skin-like flexibility and tissue-like ion dynamics. Their structures, key characteristics, manufacturing methods, and diverse applications are reviewed. Future challenges in sustainability, wearability, fabrication, and electronic integration are discussed, highlighting their potential in healthcare and interactive clothing.

Soft ionic conductors, characterized by their inherent flexibility and tissue-like ion dynamics, are ideal for intimate applications such as wearable electronics for sensing, energy harvesting, signal transmission, and bioelectronics applications. Shaping ionic conductors into fiber and textile formats (i.e., ionic conductive textiles) to replace the focus on rigid electron-based conductors heralds a transformative technology in wearable electronics and smart textiles, offering advantages that align with human-device compatibility, wearability, and sustainability demands. In this review, the category of ionic conductors, the essential characteristics of ionic conductors, the methodologies for the fabrication and integration of ionic conductive textiles, and the diverse applications of these textile-based soft ionic conductors are summarized. By providing perspectives and raising potential challenges on the future design and development of ionic conductive textiles in terms of sustainability, wearability, fabrication strategies, and integration with electrical systems, this review aims to highlight the potential of ionic conductors as key components for the next generation of wearable technologies and electronic textiles.

A versatile one-pot strategy combines bipolar electrochemistry and the water-organic interface to synthesize in a single-step complex patchy particles, which cannot be achieved by any other deposition process. Under the influence of an electric field, microparticles undergo selective surface modification via coupled redox reactions, enabling simultaneous deposition of several materials, resulting in distinct patches with different chemical features.

Multicomponent patchy particles offer unique opportunities for diverse applications, yet their controlled synthesis remains challenging. Here a strategy is presented that allows generating complex microparticles, having distinct patches of different chemical composition, by using a one-pot and single-step approach. The concept is based on the synergetic combination of bipolar electrochemistry and a water/organic (w/o) interface as the reaction space. Positioning conducting microspheres at the w/o interface allows for targeted surface modification with multiple components. Under the influence of an applied electric field, oriented parallel to the interface, simultaneous redox reactions in both phases lead to the selective deposition of up to four different materials at opposite faces of the particles. This very versatile approach can also be extended beyond spherical particles for the controlled modification of 2D materials. The simplicity of the method and the inherent precise control over multiple functional components allows for the design of advanced multicomponent patchy particles, which cannot be obtained by any other deposition process.

(Hf, Ta, Zr, W)C high-entropy carbides with exceptional oxidation resistance of 2.7 µm·s−1 up to 3600 °C are successfully explored through a high-entropy compositional engineering strategy. The exceptional oxidation resistance primarily results from the formation of unique dual-structural oxide layers that involve numerous high-melting-point W particles uniformly embedded within the molten (Hf, Me)6(Ta, Me)2O17 major phase.

Achieving exceptional oxidation resistance at elevated temperatures is long desirable for ultrahigh-temperature materials to be used in relevant applications such as hypersonic flights, re-entry vehicles, and propulsion systems. However, their practical service temperatures are typically limited to below 3000 °C. Here, the exploration of (Hf, Ta, Zr, W)C high-entropy carbides with exceptional oxidation resistance of 2.7 µm·s−1 up to 3600 °C through a high-entropy compositional engineering strategy is reported. This impressive oxidation behavior arises from the formation of unique dual-structural oxide layers involving numerous high-melting-point W particles uniformly embedded within molten (Hf, Me)6(Ta, Me)2O17 (Me = metal element, Hf, Ta, Zr, and W) primary oxides. The developed (Hf, Ta, Zr, W)C demonstrates a significant breakthrough for ultrahigh-temperature applications up to 3600 °C, paving the way for further design of advanced ultrahigh-temperature materials capable of serving at higher service temperatures.

The VTCB technique is developed for wafer-scale, ultra-clean stacking of single-crystalline TMDCs with precise angular control. This method overcomes conventional limitations, enhancing interfacial integrity, uniformity, compositional flexibility, and twist-angle manipulation, exemplified by multilayer 3R-MoS₂ retaining bulk-like properties. The technique is semiconductor-process-compatible, offering a scalable platform for fundamental research and device development.

The twisting and stacking of 2D materials have emerged as transformative strategies for discovering novel physical phenomena and designing advanced materials and devices. A significant challenge, however, is achieving pristine interfaces with precise angular control while maintaining the long-range order over large areas. In this work, a novel dry-transfer method is presented that enables the ultra-clean integration of epitaxial, single-crystalline transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) via vacuum thermocompression bonding (VTCB). This technique facilitates the fabrication of wafer-scale twisting and stacking of single-crystalline TMDCs to form homo-and heterostructures with intrinsic material properties and precise angular control. The layer-by-layer reconstruction of single-crystalline multilayer 2H-and 3R-MoS2 is demonstrated, with structural, electrical, and optical properties comparable to those of the bulk counterpart. Furthermore, the approach is fully compatible with standard semiconductor fabrication workflows and equipment, offering a scalable pathway for automated high-throughput fabrication. This findings provide a new avenue for the large-scale production of multi-stacked materials and twist-electronic device arrays.

This research proposes a novel in-memory photodetector based on wide bandgap semiconductor Ga2O3 by integrating memory characteristics into the detector. The device exhibits extraordinary memory characteristics and photodetection performance. Further, the potential of the device in weak-light imaging enhancement, light information storage, and light moving path recording in the passive mode is excavated for the first time.

The development of high-performance detectors has played a key role in the innovation of modern optoelectronics. However, the implementation of high-performance detectors has been a huge challenge, especially the present detectors with only optoelectronic conversion functions cannot satisfy the growing demands of the multifunction required in single devices. Here, it is demonstrated a novel in-memory photodetector based on wide bandgap semiconductor Ga2O3 by integrating memory characteristics into the detector. Originating from the dynamic control of the channel carriers by the interface charge reservoir under illumination and electrical, the device exhibits extraordinary memory characteristics and photodetection performance. The ultrahigh-speed programming/erasing operations in the range of nanoseconds with an extinction ratio up to 109 is achieved. Moreover, the in-memory photodetectors achieve near-zero dark current, record high responsivity (6.7 × 107 A W−1), and sensitivity for UV light, making them the most sensitive UV photodetectors. Further, the potential of the device in weak-light imaging enhancement, light information storage, and light moving path recording in the passive mode is excavated for the first time. This work enables new device capabilities and opens new opportunities for the development of high-performance in-memory detectors.

A piezoelectric film is created using structural engineered silk sericin, presenting satisfactory output performance, biocompatibility, and biodegradability. This piezoelectric film-based energy-harvester can illuminate LED or operate a portable electronic device through converting mechanical energy into electrical energy. It holds promise as a power source for delivering effective electrical stimulation to restore cardiac activity in asystole or normalize an AV block.

Current cardiovascular implantable electronic devices (CIEDs) face a pressing clinical need for the development of battery-free, biodegradable, and biocompatible devices to mitigate the risk of adverse in vivo responses. To address this demand, it is proposed utilizing a natural biomaterial, silk sericin (SS), which exhibits valuable biological activities and contains abundant asymmetric amino acids with adjustable structures, to create an implantable self-powered system based on the piezoelectric principle. The functionalized SS-based (F-SS-based) piezoelectric film demonstrates a high longitudinal piezoelectric tensor (d 33) of 12 pC N−1. An energy-generating device (EG device) utilizing this piezoelectric film can generate electric energy under mechanical force both in vitro and in vivo. By manually tapping the EG-device for a few minutes, the accumulated electricity in a commercial capacitor (1.1 µF) could illuminate LEDs or operate a timer. Furthermore, the instantaneous energy power density (218.5 µW m−2) achieved by manual pressing the EG device is sufficient to deliver effective pacing to restart a non-beating heart or normalize an atrioventricular block in a preclinical model. Owing to its high biocompatibility and biodegradability in physiological environments, the F-SS-based EG device holds significant promise for the advancement of self-powered power systems for next-generation CIEDs and other implantable and degradable electronic devices.

In this review, key strategies for designing biopolymer-based hydrogels from the molecular to the macroscopic scale are summarized. Emphasis is placed on how molecular architecture, processing methods, and fabrication technologies converge to yield materials with tunable mechanical properties, dynamic responsiveness, and enhanced transport behaviors for diverse biomedical and technological applications. The unified approach guides future hydrogel developments.

Biopolymer-based hydrogels offer versatility in biomedical engineering due to their abundance, biocompatibility, tailorable properties, and environmental responsiveness. Realizing their full potential requires understanding the molecular-level design principles that govern their macroscopic behavior. This review analyzes recent advances in the molecular engineering of biopolymer-based hydrogels, emphasizing innovative network design strategies and processing methods for precise control over material properties and functions. How molecular design influences hydrogel behavior across multiple length scales are explored, focusing on: 1) network design strategies: approaches like double networks, interpenetrating networks, and supramolecular assemblies to tailor mechanical and responsive properties; 2) processing techniques: methods such as Hofmeister effect-induced chain aggregating, cononsolvency-based porous structure controlling, and directional freezing-induced network alignment to achieve hierarchical and anisotropic structures. How these design principles and processing methods influence critical hydrogel properties like mechanical strength, inner mass transportation, and degradation are discussed. The review also covers advanced fabrication techniques that leverage these molecular engineering approaches to create complex, functional hydrogels. By elucidating the relationships between molecular architecture, processing methods, and resulting material properties, this work aims to provide a framework for designing next-generation biopolymer-based hydrogels with enhanced performance and functionality across various applications.

Living fiber dispersions (LFD) from mycelium and their extracellular materials are prepared by a facile three-roll milling process. These dispersions can be easily converted into a wide array of multifunctional living materials. These living materials display increased emulsion stability, enhanced mechanical properties, superhydrophobicity, and instantaneous proximity sensing as a result of fungal growth.

Functional biopolymeric fibers are key building blocks for developing sustainable materials within the growing bioeconomy. However, their flexible use in emerging advanced materials with smart properties typically requires processing methods that may compromise sustainability. Here, a sustainable route to generate living fiber dispersions (LFD) from mycelium that combines the excellent material-forming properties of biopolymeric fibers, and the highly dynamic properties of living materials is proposed. This is showcased by using industrially available liquid culture and mechanical defibrillation methods to generate well-dispersed living mycelium fibers. These fibers can form materials where precursors with good dispersibility and network formation properties are paramount and can harness dynamic properties through growth even in the absence of added nutrients. This is demonstrated in unique living emulsions with 3.6x slower phase separation and in living films with 2.5x higher tensile strength upon growth, the latter vastly outperforming the strongest pure mycelium materials to date. Further, humidity can be used to modulate mechanical properties and to trigger the superhydrophobic patterning of substrates, mechanical actuation, and degradation of lignocellulosic consumer goods at their end of life. In the future, combining synthetic biology with this promising platform for smart materials can expand the horizons for sustainable material manufacturing.

Using nanocellulose as a building block, P-doped MoO2−x nanoparticles anchored on N, P co-doped porous carbon are constructed by in situ polymerization and hydrothermal treatment combined with phosphorylation. When being used for modifying the commercial separator of lithium–sulfur batteries, the composite provides abundant catalytic active sites and rapid ion accessibility. The assembled cell achieves an initial specific capacity of 11.3 mAh cm−2 at a sulfur loading of 8.1 mg cm−2 under lean electrolyte conditions.

The integration of nanocatalysts into the separators of lithium–sulfur batteries (LSBs) boosts the polysulfide conversion efficiency. However, the aggregation of catalyst nanoparticles diminishes the active surface area. Moreover, densely packed catalyst-modified layers often hinder ion transport rates and impede access to the catalytic sites. To overcome these challenges, a strategy is reported for modifying commercial separators, using wood nanocellulose as a building block to construct hierarchical P-doped MoO2−x nanoparticles anchored on N, P co-doped porous carbon (P-MoO2−x/NPC). The web-like entangled nanocellulose forms a framework for the in situ polymerization of polyaniline, providing abundant anchoring sites for MoO2 nanoparticles. The addition of P atoms optimizes the d-band center of MoO2 and enhances the catalytic activity of polysulfide conversion. The LSBs assembled using a P-MoO2−x/NPC coated polypropylene separator display an initial discharge capacity of 1621 mAh g−1 and rate performance of 774 mAh g−1 at 5 C. Even with a sulfur loading of 8.1 mg cm−2 and lean electrolyte conditions, the cell achieves an initial areal capacity of 11.3 mAh cm−2 at 0.1 C. This work provides a biopolymer nanofiber solution for constructing LSB separators with advanced electrochemical reactivity.

Lithium–Sulfur Batteries

In article number 2419918, Mengjiao Shi, Wenshuai Chen, and co-workers report a strategy for modifying commercial separators, using wood nanocellulose as a building block to construct hierarchical phosphorus-doped molybdenum dioxide nanoparticles anchored on nitrogen and phosphorus co-doped porous carbon. The assembled lithium–sulfur batteries achieve a discharge specific capacity of 889 mAh g−1 with a sulfur loading of 3.1 mg cm−2 at 1 C.

Protein Nanofibrils

This artwork symbolizes the fusion of innovation in sustainable packaging and tradition. Inspired by Asian ink painting, it depicts shrimps alongside blossoming branches, reflecting the biofilm's ability to monitor shrimp freshness. The interplay of vibrant red and blue colors echoes the pH-responsive color shift of the amyloid–anthocyanin film, highlighting nature-inspired smart packaging for food preservation. More details can be found in article number 2414658 by Raffaele Mezzenga and co-workers.

Mechanics of Bamboo Epidermis

The image highlights the article number 2414970 by Zhao Qin and Aymeric Pierre Destree focusing on the mechanics of bamboo epidermis and bamboo-inspired composite materials designed by leveraging experiment, numerical simulation and generative artificial intelligence. The image showcases a selection of SEM image of fractured bamboo epidermis superimposed with a simulations of crack propagation and stress distribution. These designs reveal how silica particles in bamboo epidermis deflect crack and lead to its superior mechanical toughness, offering insights into optimizing particle reinforced composites. Image credit: Zhao Qin.

Silk Sericin Protein Film Energy Harvester

Silk sericin (SS), a key component of silk, envelops silk fibroin and provides protection and adhesion. In article number 2413610, Lin Wang, Zheng Wang, and co-workers explore and enhance the SS's piezoelectricity by structural modulation, creating an implantable and biodegradable SS-based energy harvester. This biocompatible device is capable of delivering pacing to restart a non-beating heart or normalize an atrioventricular block in a preclinical animal model.

Living Fiber Dispersions from Mycelium

In article number 2418464, Luiz G. Greca, Gustav Nyström, and co-workers present a new sustainable materials technology where living fiber dispersions is achieved by combining liquid fermentation in industrial bioreactors with traditional fiber processing techniques. The living fungi fibers can form dynamic materials, capable of self-crosslinking, stabilizing emulsions, proximity sensing, tuning hydrophobicity, and actively degrading lignocellulosic waste. This scalable technology is envisioned to expand the horizons for sustainable materials manufacturing.

As a universal genetic material, DNA can inherently encode and transmit information. Various DNA data storage systems are reported as attractive alternatives to current digital data storage media. This review provides a detailed analysis of the characteristics and evolution of readout techniques of DNA storage systems, and discusses challenges and opportunities in readout techniques of DNA data storage systems.

DNA is a natural chemical substrate that carries genetic information, which also serves as a powerful toolkit for storing digital data. Compared to traditional storage media, DNA molecules offer higher storage density, longer lifespan, and lower maintenance energy consumption. In DNA storage process, data readout is a critical step that bridges the gap between DNA molecular/structures with stored digital information. With the continued development of strategies in DNA data storage technology, the readout techniques have evolved. However, there is a lack of systematic introduction and discussion on the readout techniques for reported DNA data storage systems, especially the correlation between the design of the data storage system and the corresponding selection of readout techniques. This review first introduces two main categories of DNA data storage units (i.e., sequence and structure) and their corresponding readout techniques (i.e., sequencing and nonsequencing methods), and then reviewed representative examples of notable advancements in DNA data storage technology, focusing on data storage unit design, and readout technique selection. It also introduces emerging approaches to assist data readout techniques, such as implementation of microfluidic and fluorescent probes. Finally, the paper discusses the limitations, challenges, and potential of DNA data readout approaches.

This review provides a holistic overview of biopolymers-derived electronic skins (Bp-E-Skins), highlighting their exceptional attributes, nature-inspired engineering constructions, promising applications, and remaining fundamental and technical challenges. These insights provide a design framework to provoke the advancement of e-skins with high adaptivity, mechanical robustness, and sustainability that contribute to the development of high-performance wearable electronic systems.

The past few years have witnessed the rapid exploration of natural and synthetic materials to construct electronic skins (e-skins) to emulate the multisensory functions of human skins driven by promising applications. Among various materials employed in functional e-skins, biopolymers are particularly notable for their exceptional biocompatibility and abundant resources. Despite remarkable progress in engineering biopolymeric materials, a timely and holistic review focusing on the design, synthesis, and modification of biopolymers tailored for biopolymers-derived e-skins (Bp-E-Skins) is lacking. In this review, the key attributes of biopolymers are introduced to establish a fundamental understanding fordeveloping functional Bp-E-Skins. Next, the recent progress in harnessing various natural and synthetic biopolymers as building blocks for constructing Bp-E-Skins is systematically discussed, providing insights into maximizing the distinctive attributes of biopolymers. Subsequently, the benefits of nature-inspired Bp-E-Skins achieved through heterogeneous composite and structural engineering are highlighted, infusing fresh momentum into the advancement of e-skins. Then, the promising applications of Bp-E-Skins in multisensory functions are summarized, including both local monitoring and remote teleoperation, as well as sustainable energy harvesting that empowers e-skins. Finally, the remaining fundamental and technical challenges in advancing Bp-E-Skins are presented to provoke future designs that emulate and even go beyond human skins.

Protein can undergo liquid–liquid phase separation and liquid-to-solid transition to form liquid condensates and solid aggregates. These phase transitions can be influenced by post-translational modifications, mutations, and various environmental factors. Effective modulation of protein phase behavior offers promising applications in drug discovery, delivery, and fabrication of multifunctional protein-based liquid and solid materials.

Protein phase transitions play a vital role in both cellular functions and pathogenesis. Dispersed proteins can undergo liquid–liquid phase separation to form condensates, a process that is reversible and highly regulated within cells. The formation and physicochemical properties of these condensates, such as composition, viscosity, and multiphase miscibility, are precisely modulated to fulfill specific biological functions. However, protein condensates can undergo a further liquid-to-solid state, forming β-sheet-rich aggregates that may disrupt cellular function and lead to diseases. While this phenomenon is crucial for biological processes and has significant implications for neurodegenerative diseases, the phase behavior of naturally derived or engineered proteins and polypeptides also presents opportunities for developing high-performance, multifunctional materials at various scales. Additionally, the unique molecular recruitment capabilities of condensates inspire innovative advancements in biomaterial design for applications in drug discovery, delivery, and biosynthesis. This work highlights recent progress in understanding the mechanisms underlying protein phase behavior, particularly how it responds to internal molecular changes and external physical stimuli. Furthermore, the fabrication of multifunctional materials derived from diverse protein sources through controlled phase transitions is demonstrated.

Recent progress in transient devices enabled by (nano)cellulosic materials is reviewed. Transiency mechanisms, advantages of nanocelluloses, and a suite of applications are discussed. A circular thinking approach coupled with life cycle assessment is applied to critically revisit the potential, advantages, and challenges of nanocellulose-enabled transient devices for future materials innovation.

Transient technology involves materials and devices that undergo controlled degradation after a reliable operation period. This groundbreaking strategy offers significant advantages over conventional devices based on non-renewable materials by limiting environmental exposure to potentially hazardous components after disposal, and by increasing material circularity. As the most abundant naturally occurring polymer on Earth, cellulose is an attractive material for this purpose. Besides, (nano)celluloses are inherently biodegradable and have competitive mechanical, optical, thermal, and ionic conductivity properties that can be exploited to develop sustainable devices and avoid the end-of-life issues associated with conventional systems. Despite its potential, few efforts have been made to review current advances in cellulose-based transient technology. Therefore, this review catalogs the state-of-the-art developments in transient devices enabled by cellulosic materials. To provide a wide perspective, the various degradation mechanisms involved in cellulosic transient devices are introduced. The advanced capabilities of transient cellulosic systems in sensing, photonics, energy storage, electronics, and biomedicine are also highlighted. Current bottlenecks toward successful implementation are discussed, with material circularity and environmental impact metrics at the center. It is believed that this review will serve as a valuable resource for the proliferation of cellulose-based transient technology and its implementation into fully integrated, circular, and environmentally sustainable devices.

This study introduces advancements in triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) utilizing biopolymers for sustainable energy solutions. The study encapsulates the multifaceted role of biopolymers and biomimetic technique in TENGs, highlighting their intrinsic properties that contribute to the innovation of self-powered systems. The exploration of these renewable materials underscores a significant step toward green energy, aligning with the global goals sustainable technologies.

Triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) play a crucial role in attaining sustainable energy for various wearable devices. Polymer materials are essential components of TENGs. Biopolymers are suitable materials for TENGs because of their degradability, natural sourcing, and cost-effectiveness. Herein, the latest progress in commonly used biopolymers and well-designed biomimetic techniques for TENG is summarized. The applications of natural rubber, polysaccharides, protein-based biopolymers, and other common synthetic biopolymers in TENG technology are summarized in detail. Each biopolymer is discussed based on its electrification capability, polarity variations, and specific functionalities as active and functional layers of TENGs. Important biomimetic strategies and related applications of specific biopolymers are also summarized to guide the structural and functional design of TENG. In the future, the study of triboelectric biopolymers may focus on exploring alternative candidates, enhancing charge density, and expanding functionality. Various possible applications of biopolymer-based TENGs are proposed in this review. By applying biopolymers and related biomimetic methods to TENG devices, the applications of TENG in the fields of healthcare, environmental monitoring, and wearable/implantable electronics can be further promoted.