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Magnetic microrobot swarm moves objects with water

Diamond films cool down electronics precisely where needed

Patterned diamond films could extend the lifespan of electronic devices by removing unwanted heat

Extracting entropy information from quantum dots

New work could help optimize quantum memories and information processing

Research headlines

Rechargeable liquid solar battery stores sunlight in molecules

A new bio-inspired material has a record-breaking energy density and outperforms lithium-ion batteries

Superfluid plasmon appears in a two-dimensional superconductor

New finding could advance our understanding of high-temperature superconductors

Self-healing materials could make automobile parts last over 100 years

Scientists have created a material with the ability to repeatedly and autonomously repair cracks

North Carolina State University researchers

Metamaterial antennas enhance MR images of the eye and brain

Integrating metamaterials into radiofrequency antennas improves image sharpness and enables faster data acquisition using existing MRI scanners

Metallic material breaks 100-year thermal conductivity record

Transition metal nitride conducts heat nearly three times better than copper

Nickel-enhanced biomaterial becomes stronger when wet

A biomaterial that increases its strength when in contact with water could provide a biodegradable alternative to plastics

Javier G Fernández and Akshayakumar Kompa

Videos

Eco chic: clothing made from trees, inspired by spiders

Innovation in diamond applications from Element Six

Bristol print innovators make a strong impression

Researchers at the Centre for Print Research

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Cobalt dissolution from PtₓCo/C cathode catalysts in PEM fuel cells: in situ quantification and removal methods

Join the audience for a live webinar at 3 p.m. BST/10 a.m. EDT on 15 April 2026. Tracking Co²⁺ leaching from PtₓCo/C catalysts and recovering cation‑induced performance loss...

Bubbles, foams and self-assembly: a conversation with Early Career Award winner Aurélie Hourlier-Fargette

Aurélie Hourlier‑Fargette, winner of the 2025 JPhys Materials Early Career Award, discusses the inspirations behind her interdisciplinary work on bubble assemblies and foam-based materials

Aurélie Hourlier-Fargette and Marwan Chammouma

World’s smallest QR code paves the way for ultralong-life data storage

Tiny QR code etched on ceramic sets the Guinness World Record as the world’s smallest

2D materials help spacecraft electronics resist radiation damage

Transistors based on atomically thin transition-metal dichalcogenides appear particularly robust

Composite image showing a spacecraft launch, a diagram of circuits, and an excerpt from the sheet music of the "Anthem of Fudan University"

An illuminating, if imperfect, celebration of friction

Mike Follows reviews Friction: a Biography by Jennifer R Vail

New project takes aim at theory-experiment gap in materials data

MaterialsGalaxy platform will reduce unhelpful “silos” within the field, say scientists

$Venn diagram showing the overlap between different types of data. The circle representing crystal structure and diffraction is overlapped with circles labelled nonlinear optical, topological crystals, topological phoon, and single crystals growth. Circles labelled "layered structures" and "2D ferroelectric" also appear.$