{"title":"Iron-rich diet enhances the damage resistance of bamboo rat tooth enamel","authors":"Yu-Feng Meng, Yin-Bo Zhu, Bo Yang, Li-Chuan Zhou, Si-Chao Zhang, Yan-Ru Wang, Xiang-Sen Meng, Binghui Ge, Li-Bo Mao, Shu-Hong Yu","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102250","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2025.102250","url":null,"abstract":"Despite constraints in bioavailable elements, organisms maximize the use of limited resources to create biological materials with exceptional performance. However, little is known about how trace elements and their resulting structures specifically influence macroscopic properties. Herein, by feeding high-iron foods, we raised bamboo rats with iron-rich incisors and systematically studied the mechanical effects of iron in enamel. We demonstrate that additional iron in the pigmented enamel of <em>Rhizomys pruinosus</em> simultaneously enhance hardness, abrasive tolerance, and damage resistance. These benefits result from the aggregation of iron compound in the intercrystalline domains (ICDs) around hydroxyapatite nanowires, which leads to a nanoscale radial modulus gradient in nanowire-ICD structural units, thereby enhancing their bending resistance and interfacial strength. Our findings highlight that compositional tuning, combined with the advantages of hierarchical architectures, enables a synergistic enhancement of strength and toughness. This strategy offers insight into the design of advanced structural materials.","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144371195","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}
MatterPub Date : 2025-06-23DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102209
Anastassia N. Alexandrova, Phillip Christopher
{"title":"Heterogeneous catalysis: Optimal performance at a phase boundary?","authors":"Anastassia N. Alexandrova, Phillip Christopher","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102209","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2025.102209","url":null,"abstract":"Most of the industrially used heterogeneous catalysts have been discovered by trial and error, and despite decades of experience, the discovery of new catalysts continues to be extremely challenging. The drive to uncover guiding principles in catalyst design is more present than ever. We share a series of observations indicating that optimal catalysts typically function at characteristic phase boundaries (e.g., abrupt changes in adsorbate coverage, catalyst structure, etc.) accessed in the reaction conditions. The catalyst exploits the associated instability—the desire to exist in multiple states simultaneously—as a driving force for chemical transformations. In other words, phase boundaries are good places to start the catalyst search, and indeed, we should focus on at least two phases at once rather than just one. We substantiate this claim with several studies that combine statistical <em>operando</em> modeling and experiments. Transpiring from these observations is a hitherto unrecognized vector in catalyst discovery.","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"247 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144341272","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}
{"title":"Micropillar-enabled tough adhesion and enhanced sensing","authors":"Xi Xia, Xingxing Chen, Junli Shi, Zhibin Li, Bingfa Jiang, Kaixi Huang, Mengxue Guo, Zeyun Yang, Zelong Liao, Chaoyang Song, Chuan Fei Guo","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102221","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2025.102221","url":null,"abstract":"Skin-like sensors are key for humanoid robots and wearables. Achieving both robust interfaces and promoted sensing performances in soft sensors may enable their applications in extreme mechanical conditions of high shear. However, strong interfacial adhesion in multilayer sensors often compromise sensing properties. Here, we design hyperbranched polyurethane micropillars with (diameter < length of flaw sensitivity) that serve dual roles as an adhesion layer for exceptional mechanical stability, and adaptive spacer for enhanced sensing properties. We show a strong size effect of the structure to toughen the interface, with ultrahigh interfacial toughness up to 5,095 J m<sup>−2</sup> at a 50-μm pillar diameter. Simultaneously, the micropillars enhance sensitivity and limit of detection by decreasing the stiffness via elastic buckling and enable a rapid response to the acoustic range by reducing energy loss during loading and unloading. The sensors are ideal for the manipulation of heavy objects in humanoid robots and other applications.","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"6 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144329194","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}
{"title":"Membrane nanoreactors for mild and high-efficiency synthesis of β-blockers","authors":"Jiangwei Fu, Xiang Li, Guandi He, Jiayuan Jin, Shuai Pang, Yuhui Zhang, Xiao Jing, Daoling Peng, Xiqi Zhang, Lei Jiang","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102243","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2025.102243","url":null,"abstract":"β-blockers, such as propranolol, are widely used in the treatment of cardiovascular diseases. However, current catalytic systems for their synthesis often suffer from low efficiency, poor selectivity, and the need for harsh reaction conditions. Here, amine-functionalized graphene oxide (NGO) membrane nanoreactors were developed for the efficient synthesis of propranolol. By incorporating alkaline catalytic sites and optimizing interlayer spacing and reactant molar ratios, propranolol synthesis was achieved with directional flow, ≈100% conversion, and ≈100% selectivity in less than 4.63 s at 23°C. Density functional theory calculations revealed that adjusting the interlayer spacing of the NGO membrane promoted the reaction from thermodynamic to kinetic control through the confinement effect. The method was successfully extended to the synthesis of metoprolol, bisoprolol, pindolol, and naftopidil, demonstrating high-efficiency flow synthesis for various β-blockers. This work offers a highly efficient, environmentally friendly approach for the synthesis of β-blockers with high conversion and selectivity.","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"37 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144329196","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}
MatterPub Date : 2025-06-20DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102204
Muhammad Abubaker Khan, Jamieson Brechtl, Li Jingyuan, N. Radhika, Yong Zhang, Peter K. Liaw, Wei-Bing Liao, Mohamed A. Afifi
{"title":"High strength and ductility in a lightweight AlTiNbZrTa refractory high-entropy alloy enabled by nanophase precipitation and solute segregation","authors":"Muhammad Abubaker Khan, Jamieson Brechtl, Li Jingyuan, N. Radhika, Yong Zhang, Peter K. Liaw, Wei-Bing Liao, Mohamed A. Afifi","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102204","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2025.102204","url":null,"abstract":"A lightweight body-centered-cubic (BCC) AlTiNbZrTa refractory high-entropy alloy (RHEA) was developed, exhibiting an exceptional combination of high tensile strength (∼1,140 MPa) and ductility (∼30.2% elongation) after a tailored thermomechanical treatment (TMT). This TMT process resulted in significant microstructural refinement, including grain-size reduction, a high density of dislocations, and crucially, the formation of homogeneously distributed B2 and Zr<sub>5</sub>Al<sub>3</sub>-type nanophases. These nanophases are a direct consequence of solute segregation to dislocations during cold rolling, followed by precipitation during a subsequent heat treatment. The good mechanical properties of this RHEA are attributed to the combined effects of solid-solution strengthening, grain-boundary strengthening, dislocation strengthening, and precipitation hardening. Interestingly, solute segregation along dislocations is observed after cold rolling, resulting in the formation of B2 and Zr<sub>5</sub>Al<sub>3</sub>-type phases during the post-rolling heat treatment. In summary, this lightweight RHEA demonstrates significant potential for high-performance structural applications.","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"607 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144329193","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}
MatterPub Date : 2025-06-19DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102219
Geng-Sheng Lin, Lan Gan, Ji Gao, Yong Ding, Zhong Lin Wang, Yongsheng Chen, Haiyang Zou, Zhaohui Tong
{"title":"Regenerable triboelectric artificial hyperaccumulator for sustainable heavy- metals detection and remediation","authors":"Geng-Sheng Lin, Lan Gan, Ji Gao, Yong Ding, Zhong Lin Wang, Yongsheng Chen, Haiyang Zou, Zhaohui Tong","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102219","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2025.102219","url":null,"abstract":"The remediation of heavy metals in wastewater remains a critical challenge due to their toxicity, diverse chemical forms, and nanoscale size. Conventional identification and removal methods are often complex and costly, lacking a unified, efficient solution. Inspired by hyperaccumulators—plants that capture, respond to, and detoxify heavy metals—we developed a regenerable artificial hyperaccumulator system. This system integrates a cellulose-based adsorptive membrane into a triboelectric membrane sensor (TEMS) for simultaneous adsorption and detection. The membrane effectively captures multiple heavy metal ions, while the TEMS device exhibits a 74.2% enhancement in the triboelectric effect, achieving highly sensitive detection (1 nM–1 mM) and accurate feed concentration predictions (5.14% error). Notably, the system maintains 100% reusability over six regeneration cycles. This work presents a cost-effective, multifunctional platform, advancing sustainable solutions for water purification and energy harvesting.","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"44 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144319848","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}
MatterPub Date : 2025-06-19DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102216
Shu Xu, Zimou Feng, Linyun Bao, Zhiyang Zhu, Shenyang Wu, Yi Yang, Xinglin Lu
{"title":"Biocatalytic nanomotor-assisted ultrafiltration membrane system for selective removal and transformation of phenolic contaminants","authors":"Shu Xu, Zimou Feng, Linyun Bao, Zhiyang Zhu, Shenyang Wu, Yi Yang, Xinglin Lu","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102216","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2025.102216","url":null,"abstract":"Complete degradation of organic pollutants in water often demands substantial energy and chemical inputs. In this study, we introduce a novel nanomotor-assisted ultrafiltration (UF) system for highly selective and efficient removal of micropollutants. These nanomotors, engineered by encapsulating catalase (CAT) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzymes within ZIF-8 metal-organic frameworks, exhibit self-propulsion and catalytic oxidation capabilities. In treating phenolic pollutant-contaminated water, ZIF-8 acts as a protective and selective gate that shields enzymes from background interference and enriches hydrophobic phenolic compounds (XLogP > 2), enabling up to 99.5% removal efficiency by selective oxidation of targeted species. Notably, HRP-mediated oxidation generates phenoxy radicals, which couple and polymerize into hydrophobic oligomers that bind to the ZIF-8 surface and are effectively separated via low-pressure UF. This system minimizes energy input while leveraging enzymatic polymerization as a natural pathway for pollutant transformation, paving the way for advanced oxidation-filtration technologies as a sustainable solution for water treatment.","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"604 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144319977","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}
MatterPub Date : 2025-06-18DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102214
Bohan Li, Yongsheng Sun, Yuzhen Wang, Jiance Jin, Kai Han, Yan Xu, Zhiguo Xia
{"title":"Hybrid Cu(I)-based glassy cluster gel scintillator film by in situ UV photopolymerization","authors":"Bohan Li, Yongsheng Sun, Yuzhen Wang, Jiance Jin, Kai Han, Yan Xu, Zhiguo Xia","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102214","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2025.102214","url":null,"abstract":"Highly transparent and large-area scintillator film is highly desirable for next-generation X-ray imaging and detection. Herein, we develop a rapid and <em>in situ</em> synthesis strategy to fabricate polymer scintillator film composed of (C<sub>14</sub>H<sub>15</sub>P)<sub>4</sub>Cu<sub>4</sub>I<sub>4</sub> glassy cluster gel (M1-GCG). The large-area M1-GCG film of 20 × 12 cm was obtained by <em>in situ</em> UV photopolymerization within 30 s, showing ∼90% transmittance in the broad spectral region of 400–1,000 nm, in which Cu(I) iodide clusters coordinated by phosphine ligands are generated as a glassy form in the polymer network structure and uniformly distributed under supramolecular interactions, as the polymer monomer is polymerized and cross-linked under ultraviolet light. We develop a brand-new chemical synthesis route toward polymer-based composite scintillator film, and the M1-GCG film with high transparency and scintillation properties, as well as high-resolution X-ray imaging ability, shows extraordinary potential for large-area medical imaging and industrial non-destructive detection.","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"35 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144319798","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}
{"title":"Artificial kink defects enable high-efficiency degradation of nanocellulose via mechanochemical activation","authors":"YuanZhen Hou, Zi-Meng Han, YinBo Zhu, Jun Xia, JiaHao Li, Kun-Peng Yang, ZeZhou He, RongZhuang Song, Qing-Fang Guan, Yang Lu, Shu-Hong Yu, HengAn Wu","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102212","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2025.102212","url":null,"abstract":"High-efficiency degradation and conversion of cellulosic biomass into biofuels and bio-based chemicals are critical to human society for sustainable development. Long-term challenges in deciphering how mechanical external force activates nanocellulose hydrolysis at the molecular level have hindered the wider application of mechanochemistry in high-efficiency degradation technologies. Here, combining multiscale modeling and <em>in situ</em> experimental characterization, we revealed the mechanochemistry hidden in the mechanically activated nanocellulose degradation behaviors, that artificial kink defects enable hydrolysis acceleration. The localized plastic deformation and nonlinear molecular geometry at kink defects drive hydrolysis processes toward the lower-barrier reaction pathway and facilitate hydrolysis accessibility. The proposed two-step mechanochemical hydrolysis strategy, introducing more artificial kink defects and preferential reaction sites via mechanical pretreatment, realizes substantial enhancement of hydrolysis efficiency. This study provides a framework for anticipating how mechanical external force, microstructure defects, and molecular geometric mutation contribute to the mechanochemical degradation of cellulosic biomass with more sustainability and bioeconomy.","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"21 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144305504","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}