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Magnetoelectricity enables a solid-state material to generate electricity under magnetic fields. Most magnetoelectric composites are developed through a strain-mediated route by coupling piezoelectric and magnetostrictive phases. However, the limited availability of high-performance magnetostrictive components has become a constraint for the development of novel magnetoelectric materials. Here, we demonstrate that nanostructured composites of magnetic and pyroelectric materials can generate electrical output, a phenomenon we refer to as the magnetopyroelectric (MPE) effect, which is analogous to the magnetoelectric effect in strain-mediated composite multiferroics. Our composite consists of magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (IONPs) dispersed in a ferroelectric (and also pyroelectric) poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) (P(VDF-TrFE)) matrix. Under a high-frequency low-magnitude alternating magnetic field, the IONPs generate heat through hysteresis loss, which stimulates the depolarization process of the pyroelectric polymer. This magnetopyroelectric approach creates a new opportunity to develop magnetoelectric materials for a wide range of applications., Materials Horizons, 10 (7), ISSN:2051-6347, ISSN:2051-6355

The interaction of nanoparticles with biological media is a topic of general interest for drug delivery systems and among those for active nanoparticles, also called nanomotors. Herein, we report the use of super resolu-tion microscopy, in particular stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy (STORM), to characterize the formation of protein corona around active enzyme-powered nanomotors. First, we characterize the distribu-tion and number of enzymes on nano-sized particles and characterized their motion capabilities. Then, we incubated the nanomotors with fluorescently labelled serum proteins. Interestingly, we observed a signifi-cant decrease of protein corona formation (20 %) and different composition, which was studied by a proteo-mic analysis. Moreover, motion was not hindered, as nanomotors displayed an enhanced diffusion regardless of protein corona. Elucidating how active particles interact with biological media and maintain their self-propulsion after protein corona formation will pave the way of the use these systems in complex biological fluids in biomedicine.

Most forms of biomatter are ephemeral, which means they transform or deteriorate after a certain time. From this perspective, implantable healthcare devices designed for temporary treatments should exhibit the ability to degrade and either blend in with healthy tissues, or be cleared from the body with minimal disruption after accomplishing their designated tasks. This topic is currently being investigated in the field of biomedical micro- and nanoswimmers. These tiny devices have the ability to move through fluids by converting physical or chemical energy into motion. Several architectures of these devices have been designed to mimic the motion strategies of nature's motile microorganisms and cells. Due to their motion abilities, these devices have been proposed as minimally invasive tools for precision healthcare applications. Hence, a natural progression in this field is to produce motile structures that can adopt, or even surpass, similar transient features as biological systems. The fate of small-scale swimmers after accomplishing their therapeutic mission is critical for the successful translation of small-scale swimmers' technologies into clinical applications. In this review, recent research efforts are summarized on the topic of biodegradable micro- and nanoswimmers for biomedical applications, with a focus on targeted therapeutic delivery., Advanced Materials, 33 (42), ISSN:0935-9648, ISSN:1521-4095

Background: Poor response to ovarian stimulation affects a significant proportion of infertile couples undergoing in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment. Recently, the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology developed new criteria to define poor ovarian response, the so-called Bologna criteria. Although preliminary studies in these patients demonstrated very low pregnancy rates, a recent pilot study has shown promising results in women