Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have become an essential technological platform across diverse fields, including sensing, actuation, energy storage, biomedical engineering, and soft robotics. Their performance, stability, and multifunctionality are largely governed by the properties and integration of functional materials. In recent years, emerging material systems such as two-dimensional (2D) materials (e.g., graphene, MXenes), metal–organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent–organic frameworks (COFs), and liquid metals have attracted growing attention for MEMS development. These materials exhibit exceptional electrical, thermal, and mechanical characteristics, along with structural tunability and large specific surface areas, enabling new opportunities for miniaturization, flexibility, and multi-physics coupling in MEMS devices.
The goal of this Research Topic is to explore how advanced materials can redefine the performance boundaries of MEMS. Despite rapid technological evolution, conventional MEMS materials—such as silicon, metals, and polymers—often face challenges in achieving the desired balance between mechanical robustness, sensitivity, and energy efficiency. The integration of novel materials like 2D materials, MOFs/COFs, and liquid metals opens new pathways for designing MEMS with enhanced responsiveness, reconfigurability, and environmental adaptability. Recent advances in micro/nano-fabrication, laser-based patterning, and hybrid composite engineering have further enabled the scalable incorporation of these materials into MEMS structures. By collecting contributions on both fundamental understanding and practical device demonstrations, this Research Topic aims to highlight cross-disciplinary efforts that bridge material innovation and microsystem engineering toward high-performance, intelligent MEMS.
This Research Topic welcomes Original Research, Review, Mini-Review, and Perspective articles that advance the understanding and application of emerging materials in MEMS. Suggested themes include:
(1) Synthesis and functional design of 2D materials, MOFs, COFs, and liquid metals for MEMS;
(2) Novel micro/nano-fabrication techniques for device fabrication;
(3) High-performance MEMS sensors, actuators, and micro-supercapacitors;
(4) Flexible, stretchable, and reconfigurable MEMS systems;
(5) Applications in soft robotics, biomedical monitoring, and harsh environments.
Article types and fees
This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:
- Editorial
- FAIR² Data
- FAIR² DATA Direct Submission
- Mini Review
- Original Research
- Perspective
- Review
Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.
Keywords: MEMS, Advanced Materials, Sensors, Actuators, Energy Storage Devices
Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
