New applications

Welcome to the latest issue of Materials Today.

Issue two is already upon us, and our latest cover competition winning image begins this issue, featuring a cross-section of a human skin equivalent reconstructed in vitro – as discussed in this month's Uncovered article, Reconstructing human skin equivalents on fibrin-based dermal matrix, by Michal Dykas and colleagues. This issue's Comment article is by Tim Austin from the European Commission, on Realizing the unexplored potential of materials data; discussing the need for new infrastructure and the potential for materials science and engineering through the combination of standards for and data citation.

Moving on to reviews, Marc Bohner et al. begin by discussing Calcium phosphates in biomedical applications: materials for the future? Highlighting the improvements achieved in CaP materials research in the past 15 years, in particular in the field of biomineralization. Next, Giorgio Mattana and Danick Briand examine Recent advances in printed sensors on foil, summarizing the status and trends in the research and development of printed sensors on foil substrates, with a focus on sensor technologies. Suresh K. Konda and Aicheng Chen review Palladium based nanomaterials for enhanced hydrogen spillover and storage, looking at recent advancements in regard to palladium based nanomaterials for hydrogen storage, as well as the effects of hydrogen spillover on various adsorbents including carbons, metal organic frameworks, covalent organic frameworks, and other nanomaterials. Continuing with the theme of energy, our final review of the issue concerns Understanding Electrochemical Potentials of Cathode Materials in Rechargeable Batteries, as Guozhong Cao and colleagues consider the materials characteristics that determine and influence the electrochemical potentials of electrodes; in particular the cathode materials that convert electricity and chemical potential through electrochemical intercalation reactions.

And so as always, we hope you enjoy this issue of Materials Today.