As with donuts, the holes matter: Improving the density of stored charge and increasing the speed at which it can move through a material are usually opposing objectives. Sun et al. developed a Nb ₂ O ₅ /holey graphene framework composite with tailored porosity. The three-dimensional, hierarchically porous holey graphene acted as a conductive scaffold to support Nb ₂ O ₅ . A high mass loading and improved power capability were reached by tailoring the porosity in the holey graphene backbone with higher charge transport in the composite architecture. The interconnected graphene network provided excellent electron transport, and the hierarchical porous structure in the graphene sheets facilitated rapid ion transport and mitigated diffusion limitations. Science , this issue p. 599

Elastic ceramics: Aerogels hold promise as lightweight replacements for thermal insulation. However, poor mechanical stability has hampered progress in moving toward commercialization. Xu et al. designed a mechanical metamaterial that pinches in a small amount when you compress it (see the Perspective by Chhowalla and Jariwala). This is characteristic of materials with a negative Poisson's ratio and dramatically improves mechanical stability. The trick was using three-dimensional graphene structures to template the ceramic aerogels, thus producing a superinsulating material endowed with excellent mechanical properties. Science , this issue p. 723 ; see also p. 694

A superior mix of big and small: Graphene is often described as an unrolled carbon nanotube. However, although nanotubes are known for their exceptional mechanical and conductivity properties, the same is not true of graphene-based fibers. Xin et al. intercalated small fragments of graphene into the gaps formed by larger graphene sheets that had been coiled into fibers. Once annealed, the large sheets provided pathways for conduction, while the smaller fragments helped reinforce the fibers. The result? Superior thermal and electrical conductivity and mechanical strength. Science , this issue p. 1083

Mechanical and chemical degradations of high-capacity anodes, resulting from lithiation-induced stress accumulation, volume expansion and pulverization, and unstable solid–electrolyte interface formation, represent major mechanisms of capacity fading, limiting the lifetime of electrodes for lithium-ion batteries. Here we report that the mechanical degradation on cycling can be deliberately controlled to finely tune mesoporous structure of the metal oxide sphere and optimize stable solid–electrolyte interface by high-rate lithiation-induced reactivation. The reactivated Co₃O₄ hollow sphere exhibits a reversible capacity above its theoretical value (924 mAh g⁻¹ at 1.12 C), enhanced rate performance and a cycling stability without capacity fading after 7,000 cycles at a high rate of 5.62 C. In contrast to the conventional approach of mitigating mechanical degradation and capacity fading of anodes using nanostructured materials, high-rate lithiation-induced reactivation offers a new perspective in designing high-performance electrodes for long-lived lithium-ion batteries.