MatterPub Date : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102409
Manuel Reis Carneiro , Mahmoud Tavakoli , Carmel Majidi
{"title":"Soft skin-interfacing electrodes for wearable bioelectronics","authors":"Manuel Reis Carneiro , Mahmoud Tavakoli , Carmel Majidi","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102409","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102409","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Soft bioelectronics patches and wearable e-textiles are rapidly finding their application in electrophysiological and emotional monitoring. This includes real-time electrocardiogram (ECG), electromyogram (EMG), and electroencephalogram (EEG) monitoring, neuroprosthetics, rehabilitation robotics, and everyday human-machine interfaces, which underscore the transformative promise of these soft technologies. Skin-interfacing electrodes have a critical role in these systems, desired to guarantee the signal quality, user comfort, ease of placement, and quality of signal over time. Unlike conventional gel-based electrodes with rigid backing, novel electrodes exploit soft material classes—liquid metals, carbon nanomaterials, intrinsically conductive polymers, ionic gels, and hybrid composites—to create ultrathin and soft architectures that conform intimately to skin microtopography. Such designs not only reduce motion artifacts and skin irritation but also improve comfort for extended use, making them highly attractive for continuous clinical diagnostics, sports performance tracking, and emerging consumer wearables. By bridging materials science, bioengineering, and AI-driven signal processing, soft on-skin electrodes are poised to dominate the next generation of seamless, personalized biosensing technologies. This paper reviews the recent progress on skin-interfacing materials, including conductive composites, hydrogels and liquid metals, soft substrates (polymers and textiles) as well as fabrication and patterning techniques, long-term durability against sweat, bending, and stretching. It also discusses the ongoing challenges in establishing universal test protocols, ensuring environmental sustainability, and integrating soft electronics with data analytics.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"8 10","pages":"Article 102409"},"PeriodicalIF":17.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145195487","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 : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102463
Sun Geun Yoon, Douglas Lars Nelson, Won Joon Jeong, Stephanie Elizabeth Sandoval, Talia A. Thomas, Kelsey Anne Cavallaro, Elif Pınar Alsaç, Jungho Shin, Matthew T. McDowell
{"title":"Deformable sodium metal current collectors for lithium solid-state batteries","authors":"Sun Geun Yoon, Douglas Lars Nelson, Won Joon Jeong, Stephanie Elizabeth Sandoval, Talia A. Thomas, Kelsey Anne Cavallaro, Elif Pınar Alsaç, Jungho Shin, Matthew T. McDowell","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102463","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2025.102463","url":null,"abstract":"Anode-free solid-state batteries could enhance energy density by eliminating excess Li metal from the battery cell. However, their performance is hindered by exacerbated contact loss at the deposited Li/solid-state electrolyte interface. Here, we introduce the use of a plastically deformable current collector to accommodate morphological irregularities during Li deposition and stripping by employing mechanically soft Na metal. The Na metal current collector is shown to establish and maintain conformal interfacial contact with both the solid-state electrolyte and the dynamically evolving Li layer. This behavior enables highly reversible Li plating and stripping on the Na current collector in cells with both Li and LiNi<sub>0.6</sub>Co<sub>0.2</sub>Mn<sub>0.2</sub>O<sub>2</sub> counter electrodes, demonstrating superior performance compared to conventional Cu current collectors. Our findings offer a new materials design paradigm for anode-free batteries, replacing the prevailing strategy of using hard current collectors that constrain Li growth with soft current collectors to allow Li morphology to freely evolve.","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"33 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145195432","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 : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102211
Minhui Lu , Hanxu Chen , Ning Li , Yuanjin Zhao
{"title":"Multi-bioinspired cellulose structural color adhesive patches as photonic skins","authors":"Minhui Lu , Hanxu Chen , Ning Li , Yuanjin Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102211","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102211","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><span>Bionic<span><span> skin has potential values in many areas, while their practical implementations usually require a simple sensory manner and self-adhesion property. Here, inspired by the natural functionality of chameleon and octopus, we proposed a novel structural color self-adhesive patch as a photonic skin. The patch consists of hydroxypropyl cellulose and an octopus-mimicking suction cup structure. Benefitting from the </span>cholesteric liquid crystal phase formed by the self-assembly of hydroxypropyl cellulose, the patch features bright structural color, along with color responsiveness to external temperature and force stimuli. In addition, the octopus-mimicking suction cup structure endows the patch with a strong physisorption-based adhesion ability, which performs well in both dry and water environments. Based on these characteristics, the patches have shown excellent performance for </span></span><em>in vivo</em> sensing as a new type of photonic skin, as well as great potential for applications in dynamic monitoring.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"8 10","pages":"Article 102211"},"PeriodicalIF":17.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144305509","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 : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102408
Yang Ding , Chunhua Wang , Heng Zhao
{"title":"Large-scale, long-term hydrogen generation at a liter level via plastic photoreforming","authors":"Yang Ding , Chunhua Wang , Heng Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102408","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102408","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Photocatalytic plastic conversion can achieve environmental remediation and value-added chemical production simultaneously. Recently, Kim’s group developed an innovative synergistic strategy of polymer stabilization and gas-liquid interface operation for long-term liter-level hydrogen evolution via plastic waste conversion under natural solar irradiation.<span><span><sup>5</sup></span></span> This study offers new ideas for solar-driven large-scale hydrogen evolution via converting plastic waste.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"8 10","pages":"Article 102408"},"PeriodicalIF":17.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145195440","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 : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102426
Minghao Huang , Litao Sun , Pengcheng Liu
{"title":"Integrated circuits enable a smarter battery","authors":"Minghao Huang , Litao Sun , Pengcheng Liu","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102426","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102426","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Embedding sensors into lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) is the key to enabling early failure warnings for electric vehicle power supply, but it suffers from two challenges, i.e., maintaining battery integrity and effectively transmitting internal signals outside. Recently, Chen et al. designed a microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensor, one kind of integrated circuit, which can be embedded less invasively into both prismatic and cylindrical batteries and can simultaneously monitor their internal thermal and mechanical signals. Moreover, it can wirelessly transmit internal signals outside batteries through electrode tabs using power line communication technology. This work paves the way to developing a smarter battery with favorable safety.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"8 10","pages":"Article 102426"},"PeriodicalIF":17.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145195443","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 : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102458
Yueyue Wang , Jianwen Liang
{"title":"Solid solvation structure design for advanced all-solid-state organic battery","authors":"Yueyue Wang , Jianwen Liang","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102458","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102458","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Organic electrode materials suffer from limitations of low operating voltage and poor cycling stability, despite their inherent advantages of structural versatility, cost-effectiveness, and environmental sustainability. A unique solid solvation structure regulation strategy enables the enhancement of their room-temperature operating voltage to 3.6 V (vs. Li<sup>+</sup>/Li) while achieving long-term cycling stability under low stacking pressure, thereby establishing these materials as viable and durable alternatives to transition metal oxides.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"8 10","pages":"Article 102458"},"PeriodicalIF":17.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145195484","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":"Biofabrication beyond Earth: Intelligent bioprinting for space medicine","authors":"Yongcong Fang , Bingyan Wu , Zixuan Wang , Zhuo Xiong","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102460","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102460","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>As commercial spaceflight becomes increasingly accessible, the demand for deep-space exploration and space-based medical solutions is rapidly growing. Space-based three-dimensional (3D) bioprinting provides a transformative platform to fabricate biomimetic tissues in microgravity, enabling precise assessment of spaceflight-induced physiological changes and <em>in situ</em> regenerative interventions during extended missions. Despite progress in modalities such as magnetic levitation and extrusion-based and projection-based printing, space bioprinting remains in its infancy. This perspective examines the unique challenges of the space environment, highlights recent technological advances, and identifies emerging opportunities. We emphasize future directions, including next-generation smart bioinks, integration with microfluidics and macrofluidics, multimodal <em>in situ</em> monitoring, and convergence with artificial intelligence (AI). AI-driven automation, real-time sensing, and adaptive control can enable intelligent, self-sufficient biofabrication platforms for extraterrestrial deployment. Collectively, these efforts will accelerate the transition of space bioprinting from concept to practical application, advancing deep-space medicine, regenerative therapies, and space-based pharmaceutical innovation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"8 10","pages":"Article 102460"},"PeriodicalIF":17.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145195485","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 : 2025-10-01DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102388
Roelf Maring , Vasileios Kyriakou
{"title":"Activation of bifunctional perovskite oxides through exsolution in symmetrical solid oxide cells: Recent advances, challenges, and outlook","authors":"Roelf Maring , Vasileios Kyriakou","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102388","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102388","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Solid oxide cells (SOCs) are devices that combine operating flexibility and high energy efficiency due to favored thermodynamics, enhanced kinetics, and the ability to exploit waste heat from industrial processes. To enable flexibility, however, symmetrical SOC (SSOC) configurations are required to employ bifunctional, redox-stable, and mixed ionic-electronic-conducting (MIEC) electrodes. The electrocatalytic properties of MIEC electrodes can be boosted by introducing catalytically active and sintering-/coking-tolerant nanoparticles through the redox exsolution method. Here, we explore the synergy between exsolution and SSOCs by using a comprehensive summary of recent advances in this field as a framework. We discuss the exsolved particles and host perovskite combinations while assessing the effect of the exsolution-triggering agents. The present review offers critical insights and guidance for identifying opportunities in new chemistries, cell pretreatments, and designs that could support SSOC technology in overcoming challenges and ultimately achieving commercial viability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"8 10","pages":"Article 102388"},"PeriodicalIF":17.5,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145195507","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 : 2025-09-30DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102433
Li Zeng, Dan Luo, Weishan Tang, Dayue Du, Hanna He, Chuhong Zhang
{"title":"3D printing of low-tortuosity, vertically oriented anodes reconciling electronic/ionic kinetics for deep-cycling Zn batteries","authors":"Li Zeng, Dan Luo, Weishan Tang, Dayue Du, Hanna He, Chuhong Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102433","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2025.102433","url":null,"abstract":"Achieving a high depth of discharge (DOD) in dendrite-free Zn anodes is essential for enhancing the energy density and cycling lifespan of zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). However, conventional three-dimensional (3D) anodes featuring thick and disordered pore structures suffer from gradient and tortuous ion diffusion pathways, leading to mismatched electron/ionic transfer kinetics, which limit their DODs to usually lower than 40%. Herein, a low-tortuosity, N-doped 3D Zn anode is deftly crafted by 3D printing. The vertically aligned pore architecture significantly reduces electrode tortuosity, enabling rapid ion transport with shortened migration pathways. Meanwhile, the N-doped zincophilic surface substantially reduces the deposition energy barrier for uniform and compact Zn deposition even under high DODs. The resulting symmetrical cells exhibit dendrite-free cycling for 720 h at 1 mA cm<sup>−2</sup> and 1 mAh cm<sup>−2</sup> while sustaining stable plating/stripping processes at a high DOD of 61.7%. This work offers fundamental insights into the anode design philosophy for long-lasting and energy-dense ZIBs.","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"103 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145189524","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 : 2025-09-24DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102431
Ana Santos-Coquillat, Beatriz G. Neves, Raquel C. Gonçalves, Dora C.S. Costa, João F. Mano, Mariana B. Oliveira
{"title":"Cell secretomes used as sole building blocks enable the fabrication of stable hydrogels for biomedical applications","authors":"Ana Santos-Coquillat, Beatriz G. Neves, Raquel C. Gonçalves, Dora C.S. Costa, João F. Mano, Mariana B. Oliveira","doi":"10.1016/j.matt.2025.102431","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2025.102431","url":null,"abstract":"Proteins serve as bioactive components and primary building blocks of hydrogels for bioengineering. While extracellular matrices and blood derivatives from animals and humans have been widely explored, the use of <em>in vitro</em>-cultured cells as bioactive sources remains limited. The cell secretome holds therapeutic potential administered in its liquid form and has been previously incorporated within exogenous materials that confer structural features to secretome-enriched devices. Producing hydrogels exclusively from cell-secreted sources could enhance the predictability, potency, and autologous character of these technologies. Here, we suggest the processing of secretomes derived from adipose-tissue-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) and their further crosslinking into volumetric structures. Secretomes from pristine and interferon-γ (IFN-γ)-primed MSCs showed different protein compositions, with high reproducibility between production cycles, generalized high cytocompatibility, and pro-angiogenic activity. The platform introduced herein may be used to explore secretomes of different cell types, targeting applications that may benefit from their therapeutic and biotechnological potential.","PeriodicalId":388,"journal":{"name":"Matter","volume":"84 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":18.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145127411","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}