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.
Polymer-based conductive nanocomposites, particularly those incorporating carbon nanotubes, are highly promising for the development of flexible electronics, soft robotics and wearable devices. However, CNTs are difficult ...
Bio & Medicine
Sep 26, 2025
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A research team led by the California NanoSystems Institute at UCLA, or CNSI, demonstrated a new type of light-emitting material expected to be suitable for photonics—devices based on light in the same way that today's ...
Nanophysics
Sep 26, 2025
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A research team led by Professor Eijiro Miyako from the Materials Chemistry Frontiers Research Area at Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST) has successfully developed multifunctional nanocomposites by ...
Bio & Medicine
Sep 25, 2025
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Nanocellulose is a renewable nanomaterial made from plant fibers, with unique properties including lightness, very high strength and large surface area. The doctoral dissertation of Mohammad Karzarjeddi from the University ...
Nanomaterials
Sep 23, 2025
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The artificial intelligence models that turn text into images are also useful for generating new materials. Over the last few years, generative materials models from companies like Google, Microsoft, and Meta have drawn on ...
Condensed Matter
Sep 22, 2025
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Antibiotic-resistant bacteria and emerging viruses are a rapidly increasing threat to the global health care system. About 5 million deaths each year are linked to antibiotic-resistant germs, and more than 20 million people ...
Biotechnology
Sep 18, 2025
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A research team has developed a composite catalyst using the novel material MXene that suppresses the generation of chloride ions—one of the key challenges in seawater electrolysis. This research outcome is expected to ...
Nanomaterials
Sep 16, 2025
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Seaweed growing along the world's coastlines could help to inspire new materials. Millions of years of evolution have shaped how seaweeds control light and color, which could offer new approaches for designers to explore.
Evolution
Sep 11, 2025
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Flexible pressure sensors can detect subtle mechanical stimuli, making them suitable for use in wearable sensors for human health monitoring and motion analysis. However, current sensors suffer from insufficient sensitivity, ...
Bio & Medicine
Sep 10, 2025
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A research team has developed a next-generation display core material with excellent stretchability and superior color reproduction. The team developed a high-performance color-conversion layer that is more flexible and vivid ...
Nanomaterials
Sep 8, 2025
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