One- and zero-dimensional organic/inorganic heterostructure materials have been attracting considerable attention in materials science because of their outstanding optical and electrical properties and high tailorability in terms of composition, structure, and morphology. Strong interactions between the organic and inorganic units can lead to novel or improved physical or chemical performance relative to that of the individual components, thereby realizing synergistic ("1 + 1 > 2") performance. In this tutorial review, we discuss the synthetic methods available for preparing heterostructures incorporating diverse components; the functionality of the heterostructure materials; and their potential applications in the fields of electronics, optics, biology, and catalysis. The future development of such heterostructure materials will require deeper understanding of organic-inorganic or organic-organic interfaces on the nanoscale, collective phenomena, and interparticle coupling.

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Recently we are witnessing the boom of high-pressure science and technology from a small niche field to becoming a major dimension in physical sciences. One of the most important technological advances is the integration of synchrotron nanotechnology with the minute samples at ultrahigh pressures. Applications of high pressure have greatly enhanced our understanding of the electronic, phonon, and doping effects on the newly emerged graphene and related 2D layered materials. High pressure has created exotic stoichiometry even in common Group 17, 15, and 14 compounds and drastically altered the basic σ and π bonding of organic compounds. Differential pressure measurements enable us to study the rheology and flow of mantle minerals in solid state, thus quantitatively constraining the geodynamics. They also introduce a new approach to understand defect and plastic deformations of nano particles. These examples open new frontiers of high-pressure research.