Recent developments in in situ micro- and nanoscale mechanical characterization, equipped with exceptional spatial and temporal resolution, are expanding frontiers in the study of functional materials, whose properties are largely defined by their nano- and microscale features. This Review presents a comprehensive overview of these characterization methods and highlights their applications in low-dimensional and architected materials.

Substantial strain hardening can be triggered in GaSe and other similar chalcogenide single crystals at particular loading directions inclined to the [0001] zone axis via alternating interlayer slip. This mechanism results in large uniform tensile elongation exceeding 40%, with the ultimate tensile elongation surpassing 70%.

Microrobots made of human-induced pluripotent stem cells and magnetoelectric nanoparticles promote lesion repair and motor improvements after spinal cord injury in zebrafish and mice under magnetic guidance and stimulation.

Cancer-associated fibroblasts and fibronectin form a coupled active–passive nematic that progressively freezes, creating a mechanically stable stromal barrier.

Leakage current affects the operation and reliability of electronic devices, but obtaining accurate measurements of leakage current across two-dimensional (2D) materials has been difficult. This article accurately quantifies the leakage current across hBN, MoS₂ and WS₂ with different thicknesses and compares them with SiO₂, which helps predict the performance and reliability of 2D materials-based electronic devices.

Hearing loss affects millions of people, requiring technology to repair their auditory pathway. A biohybrid interface is developed that combines a self-powered acoustic device and an artificial auditory neural circuit, enabling restoration of auditory function in a rabbit model of hearing impairment.

DNA-based nanocarrier vaccines with optimized surface antigen arrangements induce mucosal, humoral and cellular immunity and are effective intranasal vaccines for diverse respiratory diseases.

The geometry of confining boundaries is shown to control three-dimensional topological defect configurations that precede formation of the central lumen in the developing mouse embryo, a key process in embryogenesis.

Conductivity and superconductivity at the LaAlO₃/SrTiO₃ interface are well established. Now, in a layer-by-layer fashion, oxygen octahedra rotations, polar displacements and vibrational modes that are parallel and perpendicular to the interface are probed. A doping-dependent study reveals phonon modes related to oxygen vibrations, and their connection to superconductivity is discussed.

The different Fermi velocities of particle and hole bands result in a giant mid-infrared circular dichroism in the magnetic Weyl semimetal Mn(Bi_1−xSb_x)₂Te₄.

Amal Kasry discusses the shift from quantum science to quantum technology, warning of the risk of a structural divide and emphasizing the need to act now to ensure that these technologies deliver shared prosperity.

Understanding inherent properties and coordinated design at the device, array and system levels can help achieve accurate computing with memristors.

Abu Sebastian, a distinguished research scientist at IBM Research in Zurich, talks to Nature Materials about the opportunities and challenges of memristive devices for in-memory computing and their potential to commercialization.

Ilia Valov, a professor at the Institute of Electrochemistry and Energy Systems, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, and at the Forschungszentrum Jülich, talks to Nature Materials about the relationship between nanoscale structure, composition, electrochemistry and the properties and functionalities of memristors.

Characterizing structural evolution alongside mechanical behaviour is challenging for micro- and nanostructured materials, highlighting the need for advancing in situ characterization techniques.

Operando measurements of energy materials can resolve complex electrochemical processes, leading to in-depth mechanistic insight.