The matrix

This oleophilic, hydrophobic, and magnetic (OHM) material can be used to recover 30 times its weight in oil from water for many cycles. This novel nanocomposite membrane is made by coating a polyurethane sponge with a slurry of nanomaterials. Because contrast in backscatter scanning electron microscopy images is largely based on atomic number, in this colorized scanning electron microscopy image, the metal nanoparticles on the OHM sponge glow green.

Stephane Ribet, Northwestern University, USA.

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Ultrasoft micro-textile

A piece of ultrasoft and flexible piezoelectric micro-textile under scanning electron microcopy. This woven structure is only several micrometers thickness, enabling high transparency and breathability. Made of piezoelectric polymers, this micro-textile could potentially be used for conformal skin electronics.

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Wenyu Wang, University of Cambridge, UK.

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