Matter最新文献

{"title":"Nitrogen-doped amorphous carbon as atomically thin monolithic membrane","authors":"Yihan Wang (王一涵), Huifeng Tian (田慧丰), Zhixin Yao (药志鑫), Baoguo Zhao (赵宝国), Jianhua Zhu (朱健华), Jiani Hu (胡佳妮), U. Sasaki, Xudan Huang (黄旭丹), Zhenjiang Li (李镇江), Zhang Lina Yang (杨张丽娜), Ge Yin (尹舸), Wenxi Li (李文希), Yijie Luo (罗伊杰), Xuanyu Zhang (张煊宇), Zhuo Chen (陈茁), Junjie Guo (郭俊杰), Shanshan Huang (黄珊珊), Xiangping Zhu (朱香平), Peng Zhao (赵鹏), Jianrong Song (宋建荣), Lei Liu (刘磊)","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102911","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102911","url":null,"abstract":"<div><ul><li><span>•</span><span><div>Remote plasma growth of large-area, uniform, and pinhole-free NDAC films</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Thickness tunable from sub-1 nm to several nm with atomic-scale roughness</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Peening-driven downhill transport mechanism is revealed</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Sub-1 nm NDAC enables superior property as Cu diffusion barriers</div></span></li></ul></div><div>Two-dimensional amorphous materials offer compelling advantages including atomic-scale thickness, tunable properties, and high defect tolerance. Significant progress has been made in synthesizing such materials, ranging from monolayer amorphous carbon to ultrathin oxides and nitrides. These efforts have begun to establish a coherent research framework linking synthesis, structural characterization, and property exploration. Unlike two-dimensional crystalline materials, amorphous thin films are free from grain boundaries and van der Waals gaps, enabling truly monolithic membranes with atomic-scale smoothness. Further advances are expected by developing scalable and low-temperature deposition methods, engineering local bonding configurations (e.g., sp/sp ratio and doping), and integrating these membranes into functional devices. With continued theoretical and experimental efforts, atomically thin amorphous materials have the potential to serve as versatile building blocks for next-generation electronics, selective barriers, and ultrathin optical components, opening new avenues beyond the paradigm of layered crystals.</div><div><div>Atomically thin amorphous materials represent a burgeoning class of materials that combine modulations in dimensionality and crystallinity, thereby bypassing crystalline lattice-symmetry constraints. Vitreous materials beyond the monolayer limit, in principle, provide unprecedented ultrathin and monolithic frameworks with structural uniformity but are mostly uncharted territories. Here, we report the remote plasma-assisted growth of nitrogen-doped amorphous carbon (NDAC) membranes, achieving atomic-scale roughness and tunable thicknesses ranging from sub-1 nm to several nanometers. Simulation results suggest that a peening-driven downhill transport mechanism governs this growth process. Electron microscopy confirms that NDAC membranes are pinhole free and structurally robust, characterized by a hybrid sp<sup>2</sup>/sp<sup>3</sup> carbon bonding network. We evaluated the electron transmittance of the self-supported NDAC thin films and demonstrated the versatility of NDAC as back-end-of-line-compatible, sub-1-nm Cu diffusion barriers directly deposited on dielectrics. These results underscore the unique structural advantages of atomically thin amorphous solids, establishing them as critical components for next-generation advanced electronics.</div></div><div>Atomically thin amorphous materials represent a burgeoning class of materials that combine modula","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"9 10","pages":"Article 102911"},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148402483","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":"Endochondral ossification in a capsule","authors":"Mariana Carreira, Inês J. Fernandes, Tiago R. Correia, Sara Nadine, Clara R. Correia, Syeda M. Bakht, João F. Mano","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.103034","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.103034","url":null,"abstract":"<div><ul><li><span>•</span><span><div>Liquefied microcapsules enable multicellular interactions and self-organization</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Key early events of endochondral ossification are recapitulated <em>in vitro</em></div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Chondrocyte hypertrophy and bone-like matrix mineralization develop in microcapsules</div></span></li><li><span>•</span><span><div>Endothelial cells are retained within developing constructs</div></span></li></ul></div><div>Traditional bone tissue engineering approaches have primarily focused on intramembranous ossification, which fails to fully capture the complexity of native bone formation. Endochondral ossification-based strategies offer a more biomimetic route, but replicating early cartilage-to-bone transitions <em>in vitro</em> remains a challenge. Here, we present a compartmentalized <em>in vitro</em> model of early endochondral ossification that integrates chondrogenically primed microtemplates with mesenchymal stem/stromal and endothelial cells within liquefied microcapsules. These liquefied microcapsules create a confined yet permissive microenvironment that enables dynamic cell rearrangement and multicellular interactions while maintaining construct integrity during culture. This design supports multicellular self-organization and the sequential progression of hallmark endochondral events, including matrix mineralization, while maintaining endothelial cell retention within the developing constructs. This modularity allows incorporation of bioactive signals, modulation of mechanical and chemical cues, and investigation of spatiotemporal regulation of endochondral ossification. Together, these features establish a versatile platform for studying skeletal development, mechanobiology, and multicellular interactions during endochondral ossification. In the longer term, the system may facilitate disease modeling, drug screening, and the development of donor-matched <em>in vitro</em> bone microtissues, thereby bridging developmental biology and translational bone tissue engineering.</div><div><div>Bone tissue engineering has traditionally focused on intramembranous ossification, whereas endochondral strategies remain less explored despite recapitulating the developmental pathway of most long bones. Here, we developed an <em>in vitro</em> model of early endochondral ossification by co-encapsulating cartilaginous microtemplates, umbilical cord-derived mesenchymal stem/stromal cells, and human umbilical vein endothelial cells within liquefied microcapsules. The semipermeable membrane maintained integrity during dynamic culture while permitting nutrient and oxygen exchange, whereas the liquefied core enabled cell migration, rearrangement, and matrix remodeling. This permissive three-dimensional environment promoted multicellular interactions and self-organization reminiscent of native tissues. The system supported sequential progression of hallmark events, in","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"9 10","pages":"Article 103034"},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149019735","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"材料科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Viola-inspired sequential pinching for autonomous force amplifying soft actuators","authors":"Liupeng Zhao,&nbsp;Xinkai Xu,&nbsp;Xiao Wan,&nbsp;Xiaodong Li,&nbsp;Jun Chen","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.103008","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.103008","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Compliant bioelectronic devices can conform to soft tissues but often face a trade-off between softness and mechanical effectiveness. Inspired by <em>Viola</em> seed pods, recent work uncovers a sequential pinching mechanism in which pod valve morphogeometry creates a shifting force-amplifying hotspot, enabling repeated seed ejections with minimal material use. This bioinspired design principle is translated into autonomous zipping actuators that maintain global compliance while delivering localized force amplification, providing a new strategy for next-generation biomedical soft machines.</div></div><div>Compliant bioelectronic devices can conform to soft tissues but often face a trade-off between softness and mechanical effectiveness. Inspired by <em>Viola</em> seed pods, recent work uncovers a sequential pinching mechanism in which pod valve morphogeometry creates a shifting force-amplifying hotspot, enabling repeated seed ejections with minimal material use. This bioinspired design principle is translated into autonomous zipping actuators that maintain global compliance while delivering localized force amplification, providing a new strategy for next-generation biomedical soft machines.</div>","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"9 10","pages":"Article 103008"},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149095001","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":"Pneumatic memristor enabled by elastic multistabilities","authors":"Fangchen Zhao,&nbsp;Robert J. Chambers,&nbsp;Yang Wang,&nbsp;Shengqiang Cai","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102920","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102920","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Introduction of the first pneumatic memristor integrating memory and flow regulation&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;History-dependent, non-volatile mechanical memory enabled by elastic bistability&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Programmable pneumatic logic gates enabling non-von Neumann mechanical computation&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Mechanical intelligence refers to the ability of a mechanical system or device to process and respond to its environment autonomously through its physical structure and materials, without relying heavily on electronic computers or software control. Such systems are attracting growing attention due to their potential for enhanced robustness, faster response, and superior material adaptability. A critical capability of an intelligent mechanical system is the capacity to process and learn from past stimuli, which requires both memory and in-material computation. In this context, memristors, recognized as the missing circuit element in electronics, serve not only as memory units but also as computation elements, forming the foundation for non-von Neumann architectures that integrate data storage and processing within the same physical medium. Here, inspired by the electronic memristor, we present the first pneumatic memristor, featuring a bistable beam that alters its configuration in response to previous pressure inputs and can be fully reset. Experiments and modeling confirm that the device “remembers” previous pressure inputs and subsequently adjusts airway resistance autonomously. Moreover, by assembling pneumatic memristors into programmable logic gates, we demonstrate the feasibility of mechanical information processing directly within embodied soft hardware. This design advances the development of compact, intelligent, and electronically independent architectures for mechanically intelligent systems, paving the way toward fully integrated mechanical computation.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Mechanical intelligence enables processing and response through mechanical structures without electronic control. Such systems are gaining interest for their robustness, rapid response, and material adaptability. A critical requirement for mechanical intelligence is the ability to process and learn from past stimuli, which demands memory and in-material computation. Memristors provide this functionality by integrating data storage and processing within a non-von Neumann architecture. Here, inspired by electronic memristors, we present the first pneumatic memristor, which uses internal bistable beams to alter its configuration based on prior pressure inputs and can be fully reset. Experiments confirm its memory behavior, and assembling these units into programmable logic gates demonstrates mechanical information processing without electronics.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Mechanical intelligence enables processing and response through mechanical structures without electronic contr","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"9 10","pages":"Article 102920"},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149095178","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":"Mechanoelectrical metamaterial-enabled ultrasensitive pressure sensing over a broad dynamic range","authors":"Heng Yao,&nbsp;Zhen Wen,&nbsp;Yunlei Zhou","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.103009","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.103009","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Flexible pressure sensors face a trade-off between sensitivity and range. A dual-gradient mechanoelectrical metamaterial with molecular ferroelectrics achieves 320 mV/kPa sensitivity and 1.3 Pa–3.45 MPa range via adaptive lattice reconfiguration, enabling robotic tactile perception and food quality assessment while establishing a structure-centric design paradigm for next-generation high-performance sensors.</div></div><div>Flexible pressure sensors face a trade-off between sensitivity and range. A dual-gradient mechanoelectrical metamaterial with molecular ferroelectrics achieves 320 mV/kPa sensitivity and 1.3 Pa–3.45 MPa range via adaptive lattice reconfiguration, enabling robotic tactile perception and food quality assessment while establishing a structure-centric design paradigm for next-generation high-performance sensors.</div>","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"9 10","pages":"Article 103009"},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149095258","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":"Unexpectedly large entropic barrier controls bond rearrangements in vitrimers","authors":"Shinian Cheng,&nbsp;Lilliana Rey,&nbsp;Beibei Yao,&nbsp;Ivan Popov,&nbsp;Alexei P. Sokolov","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102869","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102869","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Entropic barriers control bond exchange in vitrimers&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Extremely suppressed numbers of activated states cause slow bond rearrangements&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Calling attention to the critical role of entropic barrier in dynamic processes&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Vitrimers are an emerging class of recyclable polymers that could help address the global plastic waste challenge while enabling advanced functionalities such as self-healing and shape reconfiguration. However, their broader adoption has been hindered by a fundamental gap in understanding why their bond rearrangements—and thus flow and reprocessing—are often unexpectedly slow. Our work identifies the key missing factor: a large entropic barrier. While previous studies focused mainly on enthalpic energy barriers, we show that the rarity of suitable molecular configurations dramatically limits how often associative dynamic covalent bond exchange can occur. This insight resolves a long-standing puzzle and provides a clearer, more complete picture of how vitrimers relax and flow.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Looking ahead, this discovery opens new opportunities to design recyclable polymers with precisely controlled mechanical properties and processing behavior by tuning not only bond strength but also molecular configurational freedom. In the short term, our findings offer practical guidance for improving vitrimer performance in applications such as reprocessable plastics, coatings, and adhesives. In the longer term, recognizing the importance of entropic barriers—often overlooked in chemistry and materials science—may reshape how scientists think about reaction rates and dynamics across a wide range of systems, from soft materials to complex chemical processes. By enabling more predictive design of sustainable and high-performance materials, this work has the potential to contribute to advances in environmentally responsible manufacturing and next-generation functional materials.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Vitrimers are an emerging class of polymeric materials containing associative covalent dynamic bonds that make them recyclable by design. However, the fundamental mechanisms controlling their viscoelasticity remain poorly understood. Herein, we revealed that the density of dynamic covalent crosslinks has no influence on chain dynamics (beyond a weak change in the glass transition temperature), yet it strongly affects the linear viscoelasticity of vitrimers. Increasing the crosslink density induces a sol-gel transition consistent with predictions of classical gelation theory, demonstrating its applicability to vitrimers. The analysis of temperature-dependent bond rearrangement time reveals an unexpectedly large entropic barrier in the transition state that strongly slows down the bond exchange process despite its relatively low activation enthalpy. This insight explains quantitatively the unusually slow bond ","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"9 10","pages":"Article 102869"},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149094994","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":"Bioinspired light recycling in circularly polarized luminescence pixels","authors":"Zhuojian Li,&nbsp;Kebin Lin,&nbsp;Xin Tong","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102995","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102995","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>High optical loss has long forced circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) pixels to trade emission intensity for polarization selectivity. This preview highlights a scallop-eye-inspired multilayer device architecture that integrates a photonic crystal, a CsPbBr₃ quantum-dot/ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) emissive layer, and a chiral liquid crystal to recycle otherwise lost photons and reverse their handedness. Through this photon-recycling mechanism, the CPL pixel device achieves an unprecedented luminescence dissymmetry factor (g_lum) of 1.90 and increases unidirectional CPL output from the 25% limit of conventional bilayer devices to 60%, while enabling remotely controlled, individually addressable pixel arrays for high-density polarization-encoded displays.</div></div><div>High optical loss has long forced circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) pixels to trade emission intensity for polarization selectivity. This preview highlights a scallop-eye-inspired multilayer device architecture that integrates a photonic crystal, a CsPbBr₃ quantum-dot/ethylene-vinyl acetate (EVA) emissive layer, and a chiral liquid crystal to recycle otherwise lost photons and reverse their handedness. Through this photon-recycling mechanism, the CPL pixel device achieves an unprecedented luminescence dissymmetry factor (g_lum) of 1.90 and increases unidirectional CPL output from the 25% limit of conventional bilayer devices to 60%, while enabling remotely controlled, individually addressable pixel arrays for high-density polarization-encoded displays.</div>","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"9 10","pages":"Article 102995"},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149095005","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":"Decoupled and non-volatile prestress programming of tensegrity metamaterials enables persistent mechanical function","authors":"Xiaoming Yu,&nbsp;Meiling Zhang,&nbsp;Jianwei Sun,&nbsp;Chaozong Liu,&nbsp;Zhihui Zhang,&nbsp;Luquan Ren","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102870","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102870","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Active programming-passive holding enables prestress in tensegrity metamaterials&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Prestress is programmed once and retained for a fast, actuation-free response&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Discrete prestress states tune stability, stiffness, and energy dissipation&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;One tensegrity platform enables impact protection, load bearing, and timed release&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Prestress is a fundamental yet traditionally passive variable in mechanical metamaterials. Prestress is usually imposed externally and rarely treated as a programmable material state. This convention has limited the autonomy and persistence of programmed mechanical behavior, particularly in architected systems that rely on prestress for functionality. By reframing prestress as an internal, retainable state rather than a transient operational condition, this work shifts how mechanical states can be encoded and stabilized in tensegrity metamaterials. Although the proof of concept presented here is based on tensegrity architectures, the underlying strategy is broadly applicable to other architected material systems, enabling the creation of adaptive mechanical structures with long-term stability.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Traditional programmable mechanical metamaterials are often fundamentally limited by their dependence on continuous external energy or manual intervention to sustain their tuned states, which constrains their autonomy and real-world viability. Inspired by the defensive behavior of the pufferfish, we introduce a tensegrity design that enables the decoupling of stimulus-triggered programming from fast, passive mechanical responses. We integrate stimulus-responsive hydrogels as programmable drivers with mortise-tenon joints that provide non-volatile mechanical memory, thereby enabling persistent storage of prestress within the material architecture. Once activated by ambient humidity, the prestress state and corresponding mechanical behavior, including bistable or monostable responses, are set, and no energy is needed to maintain the state over long periods. We demonstrate three proof-of-concept configurations—timed release, impact protection, and adaptive load bearing—on a unified tensegrity platform, establishing a “program once, function persistently” strategy for autonomous, energy-conserving smart materials.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Traditional programmable mechanical metamaterials are often fundamentally limited by their dependence on continuous external energy or manual intervention to sustain their tuned states, which constrains their autonomy and real-world viability. Inspired by the defensive behavior of the pufferfish, we introduce a tensegrity design that enables the decoupling of stimulus-triggered programming from fast, passive mechanical responses. We integrate stimulus-responsive hydrogels as programmable drivers with mor","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"9 10","pages":"Article 102870"},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"149095006","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":"Embodied intelligence in biosensors: From biological inspiration to AI integration","authors":"Liujing Zhuang,&nbsp;Hao Wan,&nbsp;Liubing Kong,&nbsp;Bingqian Yu,&nbsp;Xiandi Wang,&nbsp;Jianguo Wu,&nbsp;Yingying Xue,&nbsp;Changming Chen,&nbsp;Mengxue Liu,&nbsp;Nan Jiang,&nbsp;Deming Jiang,&nbsp;Hongyang Guo,&nbsp;Xiangyu Ye,&nbsp;Qin Yang,&nbsp;Fan Wu,&nbsp;K. Jimmy Hsia,&nbsp;Ping Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102941","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102941","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;Biosensing has advanced significantly, driven by nanotechnology and the integration of artificial intelligence (AI). This convergence is facilitating the emergence of embodied intelligence (EI) systems, which transcend mere data acquisition to develop machines with enhanced perception and adaptability. Notable progress includes the development of bioinspired sensory architectures mimicking biological senses and the implementation of neuromorphic computing through spiking neural networks (SNNs). These methods enable highly efficient, event-based processing, significantly minimizing power consumption and latency, which are crucial for next-generation robotics and IoT devices. Additionally, the emerging frontier of organoid-driven EI is integrating functional biological sensory organoids with micro-nano interfaces and AI. This biohybrid approach enables sophisticated cellular-level neural processing, thereby extending the limits of sensory integration.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The integration of biosensing, bioinspired designs, neuromorphic computing, and organoid technology promises to unlock unprecedented capabilities in intelligent systems. The ultimate goal is to develop truly adaptive, self-aware EI agents with near-human sensory perception and environmental interaction, offering superior energy efficiency and extensive parallelism compared to traditional silicon-based systems. This holds transformative potential for personalized medicine and diagnostics, advanced robotics with realistic sensory feedback, real-time environmental and agricultural monitoring, and enhancement of our fundamental understanding of sensory biology. By blurring the lines between biological and artificial perception, these EI systems are set to redefine intelligent machines, mirroring nature’s efficiency and adaptability for a wide array of future applications.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The convergence of microelectronics, synthetic biology, artificial intelligence (AI), and neuroscience is transforming biosensors into sophisticated systems for embodied intelligence (EI). Moving beyond simple detection, these advanced biosensors integrate sensing, storage, and processing, enabling human-like perception with immense application potential in healthcare, agriculture, and monitoring. This review highlights the essential role of advanced biosensors in realistic sensing and interaction. We explore how biological principles inspire artificial sensing designs and examine bioinspired sensory systems that combine biosensing with neuromorphic computing and multisensory fusion for efficient real-time environmental interaction. Additionally, we discuss the cutting-edge integration of sensory organoids with AI-driven computation, creating biohybrid systems that merge biological and artificial perception. These biohybrid systems increasingly blur the boundaries between biological and artificial perception, enabling the creation of truly intelligent, self-adaptive sensing platforms.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The con","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"9 10","pages":"Article 102941"},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148624246","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":"From thermodynamically metastable to stable: Stimuli-independent transformable nanophotosensitizers for practical photodynamic therapy","authors":"Fang Fang,&nbsp;Hong-Ji Tan,&nbsp;Wen-Cheng Chen,&nbsp;Yueyun Fan,&nbsp;Chuang Zhang,&nbsp;Yingpeng Wan,&nbsp;Jia-Xiong Chen,&nbsp;Jing Li,&nbsp;Qing-Xiao Tong,&nbsp;Chun-Sing Lee,&nbsp;Xiaoyuan Chen,&nbsp;Jinfeng Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102913","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2026.102913","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Sterically undemanding D-π-A BODIPY derivative, promoting self-assembly&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;Kinetic-to-thermodynamic transition enables nanosphere-to-nanorod switching&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;SITNPS exhibits efficient tumor penetration and retention for up to 7 days&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;span&gt;•&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;div&gt;SITNPS for two-photon-laser- or smartphone-light-activated PDT&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Nanomedicines have emerged as the most robust paradigm for cancer theranostics, but their broader translation remains limited by insufficient improvement in survival benefits. One major barrier is the difficulty of achieving both superior spatial penetration and durable temporal retention, which often necessitates high dosing or frequent administration to meet therapeutic demands and may raise potential safety concerns. In this study, we develop a stimuli-independent transformable nanophotosensitizer (SITNPS) based on a unique sterically undemanding donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) BODIPY derivative, which displays enhanced charge-transfer interactions and non-covalent coupling, facilitating supramolecular assembly. As kinetically trapped metastable nanospheres, SITNPS can efficiently penetrate tumor tissue. Upon encountering the tumor microenvironment, they spontaneously convert into thermodynamically stable nanorods in a time-dependent manner, driven by the second law of thermodynamics, without requiring external or internal stimuli.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Importantly, with intrinsic two-photon-excited properties and favorable singlet oxygen generation capability, SITNPS can be activated by either two-photon laser or smartphone light for PDT. Benefiting from prolonged tumor retention (up to 7 days), a single dose enables three rounds of light irradiation, leading to superior tumor inhibition compared with clinical photosensitizers.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;This work not only provides a promising strategy for designing self-transforming nanodrugs, promoting the practical translation of long-term tumor-retaining nanomedicines, but also broadens the potential applicability of PDT in deep-seated/large-volume tumors and healthcare resource-inadequate scenarios.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Nanomedicine has revolutionized the landscape of cancer theranostics. However, developing nanodrugs with effective penetration and prolonged retention remains challenging. Here, we report a stimuli-independent transformable nanophotosensitizer (SITNPS), which can transform from thermodynamically metastable nanospheres to stable nanorods, improving tumor penetration and retention. The unique sterically undemanding donor-π-acceptor molecule displays enhanced non-covalent coupling, facilitating SITNPS formation. With robust two-photon-excited characteristics and excellent singlet oxygen generation, SITNPS induces redox homeostasis imbalance, mitochondrial dysfunction, and DNA damage. SITNPS effectively inhibits tumor growth by tri","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"9 10","pages":"Article 102913"},"PeriodicalIF":15.7,"publicationDate":"2026-10-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148402464","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}