Shaping liquid crystals (LCs) into arrays of defect patterns enables the design of composite materials with new stimuli‐responsive properties. Self‐assembled defect assemblies that may arise in layered smectic A (SmA) LCs such as focal conic domains (FCDs), exhibit remarkable optical features and abilities for ordering nanoparticles. However, such SmA defect patterns are essentially electrically irreversible, which currently limits their adjustability in a dynamic way. Here, in situ polymerization of the texture of SmA FCDs allows transferring them into more electrically responsive LC phases, such as nematic, making possible a dynamic switch between different textural and optical states of FCDs in a reversible manner with voltage. Moreover, the method readily enables to program the operating temperature range of the polymer/LC composite from its chemical composition, adapting the system to various potential uses. This approach may increment new applications of SmA defect patterns such as voltage‐tunable privacy layers and may further inspire the design of LC‐based nanostructured composite and hybrid materials with new functions that can be dynamically tuned with voltage.

Future long-duration human spaceflight calls for developments to limit biocontamination of the surface habitats. The MATISS experiment tests surface treatments in the ISS’s atmosphere. Four sample holders were mounted with glass lamella with hydrophobic coatings, and exposed in the Columbus module for ~6 months. About 7800 particles were detected by tile scanning optical microscopy (×3 and ×30 magnification) indicating a relatively clean environment (a few particles per mm2), but leading to a significant coverage-rate (>2% in 20 years). Varied shapes were displayed in the coarse (50–1500 µm2) and fine (0.5–50 µm2) area fractions, consistent with scale dices (tissue or skin) and microbial cells, respectively. The 200–900 µm2 fraction of the coarse particles was systematically higher on FDTS and SiOCH than on Parylene, while the opposite was observed for the <10 µm2 fraction of the fine particles. This trend suggests two biocontamination sources and a surface deposition impacted by hydrophobic coatings.

Back Cover: In article number 2100087 by Frédéric Mondiot and co‐workers, in situ polymerization of voltage irreversible smectic A defect patterns such as focal conic domains is utilized to transfer them into more electrically responsive nematic liquid crystals. Using this approach, linear arrays of elliptic‐hyperbolic focal conic domains with uncovered hiding properties can then reversibly switch back and forth with low voltages between textures ranging from totally hiding to transparent states.