Functional materials are physical systems engineered so that their intrinsic properties—such as electrical conductivity, magnetization, optical response, ionic mobility, or mechanical deformation—can be deliberately modulated by external stimuli (e.g., electric or magnetic fields, light, temperature, stress, or chemical environment) to perform specific tasks. They encompass classes such as ferroelectrics, piezoelectrics, magnetoresistive and thermoelectric materials, shape-memory alloys, solid electrolytes, and stimuli-responsive polymers. In research and device design, functional materials serve as active components enabling sensing, actuation, energy conversion, information storage, and signal processing, with performance governed by their structure–property relationships across atomic, mesoscale, and macroscopic length scales.
Ultrathin nanomaterials, known as MXenes, are poised to make it easier to monitor a person's well-being by analyzing their perspiration.
Nanomaterials
Jan 3, 2022
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170
Three-dimensional (3D) anisotropic functional properties of a single material (such as magnetic, electrical, thermal and optical properties, etc.) are not only conducive to the multi-use of materials, but also help to enrich ...
Nanomaterials
Dec 17, 2021
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129
Aerogels are extraordinary materials that have set Guinness World Records more than a dozen times, including as the world's lightest solids.
Nanophysics
Dec 2, 2021
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412
It is challenging to develop functional carbon nanospheres with well-defined porosity and complex multi-shelled nanostructures. In a new report now published in Science Advances, Liang Peng and a research team in chemistry ...
Researchers in Korea succeeded in developing a core material for the next-generation neuromorphic (neural network imitation) semiconductor for the first time in the country. This is a result of a research team led by Dr. ...
Nanomaterials
Nov 8, 2021
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138
Recently, researchers developed high-performance solar thermal copper sulfide photothermal ink and photothermal film, marking big progress in the field of Plasmonic Solar photothermal Materials.
Nanomaterials
Nov 5, 2021
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172
In the last few years, a class of materials called antiferroelectrics has been increasingly studied for its potential applications in modern computer memory devices. Research has shown that antiferroelectric-based memories ...
Nanomaterials
Nov 1, 2021
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150
Some people are born with hearing loss, while others acquire it with age, infections or long-term noise exposures. In many instances, the tiny hairs in the inner ear's cochlea that allow the brain to recognize electrical ...
Bio & Medicine
Oct 27, 2021
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164
When most people think of wearable devices, they think of smart watches, smart glasses, fitness trackers, even smart clothing. These devices, part of a fast-growing market, have two things in common: They all need an external ...
Nanophysics
Oct 26, 2021
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162
Planar perovskite light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are high-performance and cost-effective electroluminescence devices that are ideal for large-area display and lighting applications. By exploring the emission layers with high ...
