The design of soft matter in which internal fuels or an external energy input can generate locomotion and shape transformations observed in living organisms is a key challenge. Such materials could assist in productive functions that may range from robotics to smart management of chemical reactions and communication with cells. In this context, hydrated matter that can function in aqueous media would be of great interest. Here, we report the design of hydrogels containing a scaffold of high–aspect ratio ferromagnetic nanowires with nematic order dispersed in a polymer network that change shape in response to light and experience torques in rotating magnetic fields. The synergistic response enables fast walking motion of macroscopic objects in water on either flat or inclined surfaces and also guides delivery of cargo through rolling motion and light-driven shape changes. The theoretical description of the response to the external energy input allowed us to program specific trajectories of hydrogel objects that were verified experimentally.

In energy storage materials, large surface areas and oriented structures are key architecture design features for improving performance through enhanced electrolyte access and efficient electron conduction pathways. Layered hydroxides provide a tunable materials platform with opportunities for achieving such nanostructures via bottom-up syntheses. These nanostructures, however, can degrade in the presence of the alkaline electrolytes required for their redox-based energy storage. A layered Co(OH) 2 -organic hybrid material that forms a hierarchical structure consisting of micrometerlong, 30 nm diameter tubes with concentric curved layers of Co(OH) 2 and 1-pyrenebutyric acid is reported. The nanotubular structure offers high surface area as well as macroscopic orientation perpendicular to the substrate for efficient electron transfer. Using a comparison with flat films of the same composition, it is demonstrated that the superior performance of the nanotubular films is the result of a large accessible surface area for redox activity. It is found that the organic molecules used to template nanotubular growth also impart stability to the hybrid when present in the alkaline environments necessary for redox function.supercapacitors that store energy through electric double-layer capacitance (EDLC) in symmetric carbon-based electrodes have only limited energy density compared to currently used batteries. There has been growing interest recently in asymmetric supercapacitors that utilize high-performance EDLC anodes, [6,7] in conjunction with faradaic cathodes that undergo redox reactions and thus have much larger energy densities. [8][9][10] Among the materials investigated for cathodes, cobalt(II) hydroxide (Co(OH) 2 ) is a particularly promising candidate due to its high theoretical specific capacity and electrical conductivity. [11][12][13] This metal hydroxide is known to form a crystalline layered structure that facilitates ion transport, and in the presence of an oxidizing potential and hydroxide ions it will transform into a cobalt(III) oxyhydroxide (CoOOH) phase. [14] This charging transformation is easily reversible in a discharge process that reduces the oxyhydroxide back to the original cobalt hydroxide. This redox reaction offers the potential for high energy storage density and rapid charge/discharge cycles, the two attributes that define a supercapacitive material. While the operating voltage window for Co(OH) 2 electrodes is limited to ≈0.5 V, solid-state asymmetric supercapacitor devices utilizing Co(OH) 2 -based cathodes and EDLC anodes have demonstrated stable potential windows of 1.2 and 1.8 V. [15,16] This electrode Energy Storage

The morphogenesis of supramolecular assemblies is a highly dynamic process that has only recently been recognized, and our understanding of this phenomenon will require imaging techniques capable of crossing scales. Shape transformations depend both on the complex energy landscapes of supramolecular systems and the kinetically controlled pathways that define their structures and functions. We report here the use of confocal laser scanning microscopy coupled with a custom-designed variable-temperature sample stage that enables in situ observation of such shape changes. The submicrometer resolution of this technique allows for real-time observation of the nanostructures in the native liquid environments in which they transform with thermal energy. We use this technique to study the temperature-dependent morphogenic behavior of peptide amphiphile nanofibers and photocatalytic chromophore amphiphile nanoribbons. The variable-temperature confocal microscopy technique demonstrated in this work can sample a large volume and provides real-time information on thermally induced morphological changes in the solution.

A layered Co(OH)2‐organic hybrid material consisting of multi‐walled nanotubes with preferred alignment is reported by Samuel I. Stupp and co‐workers in article number https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201702320. Electrodeposited on conductive substrates, the material functions as energy storage electrode. The molecular structure of the organic component determines the morphology of the hybrid material and its resulting electrochemical performance.