Innovations in materials science play a crucial role in making the products we rely on stronger, safer, and more sustainable. As noted in our 2025 emerging trends to watch article, materials science advances drive improvements across consumer goods, buildings, construction, energy, and more. Some of these advances reach into realms recently considered science fiction—yet these scientific breakthroughs are becoming reality, improving the spaces where we live and work and the products we use.  

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Metamaterials improving wireless communications and more

Advances in computational design and simulation, 3D printing, lithography, and etching are enabling the fabrication of different metamaterials—artificially engineered materials designed with properties not found in nature—for a range of applications. The ordering of their architecture generates the unique properties of metamaterials, and improvements in how scientists design and manipulate these structures are leading to new uses.  

Metals, dielectrics, semiconductors, polymers, ceramics, nanomaterials, biomaterials, and composites are the fundamental materials used to build metamaterials. By tuning their structures precisely, scientists can produce metamaterials with properties like a negative refractive index, the ability to manipulate electromagnetic radiation, tailored electric and magnetic permittivity, and the ability to manipulate acoustic and seismic waves.  

With changes often at the nanoscale, these properties drive new uses for metamaterials, such as improving 5G networks. The mmWaves used in 5G have a limited range and are easily blocked by structures. ​​Metamaterials embedded in antennas can improve reception by increasing antenna efficiency and bandwidth. Reconfigurable Intelligent Surfaces (RIS) can reflect and refract 5G signals for better signal reception within buildings. Improving 5G reception with metamaterials reduces the cost of building more cell towers and makes fast signal reception more accessible for everyone.  

Other notable new applications of metamaterials include:

• Earthquake protection: Metamaterials can attenuate the intensity of seismic waves and resist their propagation through structures, thereby protecting them from damage. Steel and double-graded metamaterials, such as carbon fiber-reinforced polymer, have been effectively used for this application. Including these metamaterials in construction could make important safety improvements in earthquake zones. ‍
• Medical imaging: Metamaterials improve the signal-to-noise ratio of MRI machines, leading to higher-resolution images. They also help shield other organs from absorbing unwanted electromagnetic radiation. Metasurfaces made of nonmagnetic brass wires have been shown to improve scanner sensitivity, signal-to-noise ratio, and image resolution in MRI imaging.  ‍
• Invisibility cloaks: By precisely controlling the electromagnetic properties of various metamaterials, light waves can be redirected around an object, creating the impression that it is not there. For example, using a highly transparent metasurface with dielectric photonic crystals with Dirac cone dispersions can make the seemingly impossible invisibility cloak a reality. ‍
• Energy harvesting: Metamaterials' unique properties can convert various forms of ambient energy, such as electromagnetic waves, sound waves, or even mechanical vibrations, into electrical energy. A polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDF)- based metamaterial was found to be capable of converting mechanical energy into electrical energy, which also has the additional benefit of isolating the vibrations.

Multiple materials improving the decarbonization of buildings 

As the world gets warmer, more air conditioning is needed to keep indoor environments comfortable. At the same time, the increased use of renewable energy sources like solar and wind requires energy storage that maximizes energy supply during peak demand times that do not correspond to sunny or windy conditions. 

Thermal energy systems, also called thermal batteries, are being increasingly commercialized to improve the efficiency and thermal conductivity of heating and cooling buildings and to capitalize on renewable energy generation. The key components of these systems are thermal energy storage mediums, insulation, and a heat exchanger.  

Examples of heat storage mediums include water, bricks or concrete, ceramics, graphite, metal oxides, or molten salts, all of which have high heat capacity for storage. These systems can also use phase-change materials that store heat by changing from solid to liquid. Paraffin wax, salt hydrates, fatty acids, polyethylene glycol, and Glauber's salt are examples of phase-change materials used in thermal energy storage. Lastly, these systems can use materials that store heat by driving reversible chemical reactions, such as water loss. Innovative thermochemical materials for these processes include zeolites, metal hydrides, and hydroxides.

We also see thermal energy storage systems that use water-based thermal storage materials for air conditioning solutions. These systems cool buildings using very little electricity at times of peak electricity prices, allowing buildings to remain comfortable while reducing their energy costs. Phase-change materials are also now powering thermal energy storage systems for water heaters and even industrial processes requiring high heat. These can help decarbonize heavy industries that have struggled to reduce their emissions.    

​Not just for insulation: aerogels finding new applications‍

Aerogels, sometimes called "frozen smoke," are lightweight materials with high porosity that were first discovered in 1931. New discoveries are making these materials more durable and, therefore, suitable for more applications. Aerogels are synthesized from a gel where the liquid component is replaced with a gas, maintaining the integrity of the gel. This is achieved through novel drying methods that can now form a robust, ultra-lightweight dendritic microstructure with pores smaller than 100 nm and up to 99.8% of empty space.  

Silica aerogels have been used extensively in thermal insulation and acoustic insulation. However, synthetic polymer aerogels offer greater mechanical strength than silica-based aerogels and are more suitable for energy storage and conversion applications. Bio-based polymer aerogels can also be designed for biomedical applications, such as tissue engineering, regenerative medicine, and drug delivery systems. Additionally, aerogel composites made with MXenes and metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) exhibit outstanding electrical conductivity, mechanical robustness, and specific capacitance that outperforms conventional supercapacitors.  

Emerging applications for aerogels beyond insulation include:

• Biomedical engineering, where aerogels are being used for drug delivery, wound healing agents, antioxidants, tissue scaffolds, and more. ‍
• Energy storage, where applications include a range of uses, such as rechargeable batteries, supercapacitors, and fuel cells.  ‍
• Environmental remediation, where aerogels' high porosity, lightness, and eco-friendliness make them ideal for purposes such as oil spill clean-ups.  

The number of aerogel characteristics and applications is truly remarkable. You might even see aerogels in your sunscreen, as the cosmetics industry increasingly utilizes these materials as UV protection agents. Composite aerogels of TiO₂-silica have photoprotective properties, and adding them to sunscreen formulations increases the SPF factor beyond what conventional formulations can reach today. They are also water-resistant, have a matte effect on the skin, and do not leave a white cast after application.  

‍Smart materials in construction applications reducing emissions

Operating buildings account for 30% of global energy usage. Their construction also generates significant emissions—concrete is responsible for approximately 8% of global emissions, and it is the second-most-used material in the world after water. By using innovative materials that can last longer and require less power or heat to produce, the construction industry can improve its rate of decarbonization. Additionally, materials that can be more efficient in heating or cooling an existing structure will be important to reducing emissions from the building segment overall.  

Self-healing concrete and electrochromic windows, two important examples of smart building materials, are moving from theory to practice, and they are ready to help control emissions from hard-to-abate sectors like construction. Concrete is naturally prone to cracks, and repairing or replacing it with more concrete is emissions-intensive. Innovations in healing agents and encapsulation techniques are enabling self-healing concrete. Basilisk, for example, uses three different bacteria (Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus pseudofirmus, and Bacillus sphaericus) that produce limestone on exposure to oxygen and water. When concrete containing this mixture cracks, the oxygen and moisture in the environment trigger limestone production in the bacteria to heal the cracks. Silicon-based breakthroughs are also driving hydrophobic concrete innovations.  

Beyond the construction process, new materials science applications are also helping improve the lifetime carbon footprint of buildings. Smart window technology using electrochromic window films can decrease energy use in buildings by blocking light. Tungsten trioxide and nickel oxide are some of the electrochromic materials used in electrochromic windows. Applying an electric field to the film of polymer dispersed liquid crystals (PDLC) changes the arrangement of its molecules into an orderly fashion to create transparency, thereby blocking or transmitting light, resulting in an opaque or transparent window.    

Bamboo delivering better, more sustainable consumer products 

The use of bamboo dates back centuries, but recent advances in processing and engineering are proving that these materials can be a sustainable alternative to pure polymers with applications in multiple industries. As the demand for more sustainable materials grows, the market for bamboo goods is projected to grow from about $73 billion in 2025 to over $111 billion by 2034. 

Bamboo is a sustainable resource—it grows faster than trees, regrows continually, and sequesters more carbon than most trees. It is often combined with non-biodegradable synthetic polymers to improve its mechanical properties, particularly strength. Composites of bamboo fibers with thermoset and thermoplastics show that they have similar or better mechanical properties, such as tensile strength, modulus, and elongation, than the parent polymers. Specifically, new composites made of bamboo fibers with thermoset polymers, such as phenol-formaldehyde and epoxy, demonstrate the best mechanical properties. Plastination, which involves dehydration and the infusion of polymers like silicone and polyester, also makes bamboo more durable.

Recent studies also show that when the biopolymer polylactic acid is combined with bamboo fiber powder and silica aerogel, the resulting composite has improved mechanical properties like tensile strength and Young's modulus, as well as a better water vapor/oxygen barrier effect, compared to polylactic acid. These improved mechanical properties have potential applications in sustainable packaging.  

The gap between supply and demand is an ongoing challenge in the widespread adoption of bamboo. However, recent advances in biotechnology, such as in vitro propagation and tissue culture, are making bamboo production more effective and reliable while avoiding overexploitation of resources. With the market of bamboo goods expanding into furniture, packaging, personal care products, and clothing, this material will become increasingly important when offering more sustainable products for consumers.

Thermally adaptive fabrics improving performance, safety, and comfort

Whether for athletes exercising in high temperatures or firefighters facing dangerous conditions, clothing plays a crucial role in keeping us comfortable, safe, and able to perform at our best. Innovations in thermally adaptive textiles are supporting these capabilities thanks to polymers, aerogels, and smart composites. 

Today's adaptive fabrics utilize thermal insulation, moisture management, dynamic pore sizes, thermochromism, and radiative heat collection to make clothing more responsive to different environmental conditions. The latest advances include: 

• Optical modulation: New fabrics can change the amount of light they absorb in response to temperature fluctuations. Graphene, graphene-glass fiber fabric, and polyacrylonitrile nanofibers have proven effective. Optical fabrics are aesthetically pleasing, and they can be used for light therapy and vital sign detection. ‍
• Thermoresponsive materials: Shape memory polymers, hydrophilic polymers, and microencapsulated phase-change materials change their shape and structure in response to temperature fluctuations. They control the amount of air and moisture passing through the pores of the fabric, resulting in the heating or cooling of the wearer.  ‍
• Thermochromic materials: Using liquid crystals, pigments, and thermochromic polymers, these materials change color in response to temperature, regulating the amount of light absorbed by the fabric. These fabrics can turn a lighter color to reflect heat from the wearer or change color for military camouflage.  ‍
• Conductive polymers: Polymers such as polypyrrole, polyaniline, polythiophene, and its derivative, poly(3,4-ethylene dioxythiophene), can conduct heat and electricity. They help regulate temperature by effectively dissipating body heat. Materials such as silver nanowires and boron nitride can also regulate temperature through effective heat dissipation from the fabric. 

​At CAS, we keep our finger on the pulse of new innovations in materials science at the intersection of chemistry, physics, and engineering. Through the CAS Content Collection^TM, the largest human-curated repository of scientific information, we constantly analyze the most recent journal and patent publications from around the world. This gives us a unique view into the latest innovations and which breakthroughs are reaching commercialization.