Themed collection Recent Review Articles

This review introduces key concepts and tools for modelling 2D magnets with DFT, covering magnetism basics, challenges like spin order, and methods to extract Hamiltonian parameters and critical temperatures for various anisotropies.

This work reviews carbon nanomembranes (CNMs) from self-assembled monolayers to composite membranes, focusing on their development and potential in separation applications.

Recent advances in understanding photocarrier dynamics of fullerenes in PSCs, focusing on charge transport, interfacial interactions, and the impact of functionalized derivatives on efficiency and stability.

This review discusses key factors influencing photoluminescence fluctuations of single perovskite nanocrystals and highlights surface passivation strategies to enhance their stability.

This review integrates theoretical and computational advances to identify active sites and key intermediates in NO_x electroreduction, offering mechanistic insights and guiding principles for selective ammonia synthesis.

MXenes are 2D materials with high conductivity and tunable surfaces, ideal for energy storage and flexible electronics.

This review highlights the therapeutic potential of metal-based and metal oxide nanoparticles in IVDD by leveraging their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and microenvironment-modulating properties to enhance tissue repair. The ToC was created in BioRender. Zhang, L. (2025) https://BioRender.com/6fzdcqv.

This review highlights iron-based nanozymes including iron oxides, single-atom nanozymes, and MOFs that induce ferroptosis via ROS generation and Fenton chemistry, achieved by POD-, CAT-, OXD- and SOD-like activities.

This review highlights recent stimulus-responsive antimicrobial nanotherapeutics for ocular infections, focusing on their design, progress, and advantages/limitations.

Mechanisms of graphene growth via chemical vapor deposition on oxide ceramics such as Al₂O₃, MgO, CaO, and SiO₂ are discussed, with a focus on substrate-specific methane activation processes, toward versatile three-dimensional graphene synthesis.

This review systematically compiles studies on redox reactions during SLFP regeneration, which are crucial for enhancing the understanding the regeneration of SLFP batteries.

This review focuses on the recent application progress of polymer additives in liquid electrolytes for lithium batteries.

This review highlights the recent progress in structural engineering of noble metal-based nanozymes and their enzyme-like properties in various enzyme-mimicking reactions and diverse biomedical applications.

This review explores the spin effects in both achiral and chiral metal halide perovskites and their opto-spintronic applications.

This review explores advancements, applications, challenges, and future prospects of flexible fibrous electrodes for implantable biosensing, highlighting their potential in biomedical monitoring and human–machine interfaces. Images reproduced with permission, full details in paper.

The ion-selective transport property of biological systems has inspired the development of biomimetic ion channels. This mini-review highlights the mechanisms, recent fabrication strategies and applications of biomimetic ion channels.

This review emphasizes the groundbreaking potential of MXene-based microrobots in developing targeted drug delivery and synergistic therapeutic approaches.

Cu-based bimetallic catalysts show enhanced electrochemical CO₂ reduction performance via the tandem effect. This review traces their progress, highlighting design advances, mechanisms, and challenges to guide efficient CO₂ conversion.

This review explores the development of biomedical nanomaterials based on rod-shaped plant viruses, providing insights into the design of innovative biomaterials for applications related to drug delivery, bioimaging and immune-therapy. Created in https://BioRender.com.

Hydrogen bubble evolution presents both challenges and opportunities in Zn-based batteries. While bubble evolution induces electrode instability and dendrite formation, it can also optimize mass transfer through controlled fluid dynamics.

Polymeric nanoparticles represent an innovative approach to drug delivery, particularly for addressing complex diseases like cancer.

External strategies such as electrode design, stress/heat transfer improvements, microstructure optimization, and multifunctional synergy show great potential for improving sensing performance of PVDF-based sensors. Images reproduced with permission, full details in paper.

The increasing demand for sustainable solutions to address environmental and energy challenges has driven the development of advanced materials. This paper highlights recent advancements in the development of sustainable nanofibrous membranes.

Multifunctional coupling and signal decoupling achieved through nanostructure and supramolecule design, enable multimodal mechanoluminescent materials to play an increasingly important role in interdisciplinary applications and cutting-edge fields.

DNA nanomaterials offer promising advancements in addressing the challenges of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) through targeted drug delivery, biomarker detection, and therapeutic innovation.

Laser diodes based on solution-processed semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) present an economical and color-tunable alternative to traditional epitaxial lasers.

The dual role of ROS in liver diseases, and the potential of nanomaterials with catalytic activity for therapeutic applications are examined.

This review provides a comprehensive overview of recent biomedical applications of upconversion nanomaterials specifically within the near-infrared two-region (NIR-II) window (1000–1700 nm).

Mathematically inspired structure design has emerged as a powerful approach for tailoring material properties, especially in nanoscale thermal transport, with promising applications both within this field and beyond.

The emerging integrated power supplies for self-powered bioelectronic devices over the past few years are summarized. Additionally, the challenges and future perspectives in self-powered device design and manufacturing are also indicated.

Lithium metal is considered one of the most promising anode materials for lithium batteries due to its high theoretical specific capacity (3860 mA h g⁻¹) and low redox potential (−3.04 V).

This minireview highlights recent progress in BHJ-based photoelectrochemical cells and photocatalysts for solar-to-chemical conversions.

Chiral nanomaterials are emerging as a promising class of vaccine adjuvants with the potential to significantly enhance vaccine efficacy, especially in the context of cancer immunotherapy.

Dilute and single-atom alloy catalysts have attracted tremendous attention in heterogeneous catalysis. Herein, we discuss recent progress on simulating their stability and catalytic behavior.

We summarize the latest developments in NIR-CPL generated by chiral inorganic nanomaterials and provide new perspectives for constructing NIR-CPL materials and developing new applications for chiral nanomaterials.

Solid-state nanochannel sensors consisting of recognition elements and nanochannels are capable of detecting a wide range of small molecules including gas molecules, drug molecules and biomolecules.

This mini-review focuses on how super-resolution techniques uncover the detailed interactions between nanoparticles and immune cells.

Chirality is an intriguing property of molecules, and exciting area of study involves the generation of chirality in nanographenes (NGs), also known as graphene quantum dots.

Brain disorders affect over one billion people globally, presenting significant challenges for effective treatment due to the limited drug bioavailability in the brain. The graphical abstract was created with BioRender.

This article systematically reviews the physical and chemical properties of carbon dots, especially optical, thermal, electrical, and interfacial features, and their applications in the field of biomedical engineering, energy and environment, etc.

Nanozymes derived from mesoporous materials and their application in colorimetric sensing.

Processing by severe plastic deformation (SPD) refers to imposing a high strain without producing any significant dimensional changes. This review summarizes the principles of SPD processing.

Gemcitabine-based nanodelivery strategies for pancreatic cancer include efficient carriers, combination therapies, and prodrug systems to enhance stability, targeting, and efficacy.

This review summarizes recent advances in norcantharidin (NCTD)-based nanomedicines for tumor therapy, focusing on four major research areas: prodrug modification, encapsulation and delivery, immunotherapy, and combination therapy.

General overview of the optimization strategies for high-efficiency photocatalytic H₂O₂ production.

Engineered ferritin nanocages exploit biocompatibility and TfR1 targeting. Chemical/genetic/mineralization strategies enable therapeutics delivery, imaging, and vaccines (in trials). Advancing smart precision nanomedicine.

Chemotactic nanomotors, bubble-driving nanomotors, photothermal nanomotors, and dual-powered nanomotors, provide superior cellular uptake, BBB crossing, and deep tumor penetration, thus specifically targeting and treating glioblastoma.

Overview of polymer solid electrolytes based on different functionalities.

This paper briefly outlines the basic concepts and current developments in anti-reflection, anti-smudge, and spectrum regulation technologies, discussing the challenges and trends related to the applications on the surface of solar cells.

This review clearly summarizes recent synthesis and applications of polyaniline (PANI)-based composites in electrocatalysis field, enhancing understanding of PANI-based electrocatalysts and inspiring future electrocatalyst design.

We summarize the current state of eNRR technology, mechanisms, and potential optimization strategies, providing inspiring guidance for the eNRR.

This review highlights the development of ternary and quaternary Cu- and Ag-based chalcogenide NCs with anisotropic shapes: synthesis methods, spectral properties, including chiroptical, energy level structure and potential applications.

The work summarized the light-responsive nanomaterials for plant research including their interactions with plants and recent advancements in their photon-mediated imaging, growth regulation, detection and antimicrobial applications. Images reproduced with permission; full details in paper.

The arene–perfluoroarene force enables coassemblies with pronounced optical properties, which provide protocols for fabricating chiroptical materials.

MXene QDs are illustrated, showcasing their synthesis, properties, and emerging applications in next-generation diagnostics and environmental monitoring.

This review provides a comparative overview of thin-film temperature sensors based on five major material groups, highlighting their mechanisms, strengths, limitations, and integration into wearable, e-skin, and robotic applications.

This review explores recent advances in catalyst design, reactor configuration, system optimization, and mechanistic insights to drive CO₂ electrolysis technology toward large-scale and commercial applications.

This review summarizes advancements in flexible pressure sensor design, including materials, devices, algorithm design, and systems, using bibliometric methods. The materials used in the system section are sourced from Vecteezy (Vecteezy.com).

This review systematically summarizes the electronic band structures, optical properties and device applications of 2D anisotropic semiconductors.

3D cell cultures produce higher EV yields, with comparable or more physiologically relevant morphology, enriched cargo, and enhanced functionality. However, each model presents distinct strengths and limitations that must be carefully considered.

This review outlines the chemical toolkit for energy-dissipating sacrificial bonds by surveying recent (post-2017) developments in tough, impact-resistant soft materials.

Environmental applications of metal and metal oxide nanoparticles primarily comprise contaminant adsorbents, catalysts, and sensors for hazardous substances, etc.