Recent advances in electromechanical coupling functional metamaterials

Metamaterials refer to a series of man-made materials exhibiting unnatural physical properties. Since its inception, this concept has continuously developed, expanding from electromagnetics to fields such as optics, acoustics, and mechanics, demonstrating various unique innovative advantages. In recent years, the research on metamaterials has gradually entered a novel stage of interdisciplinary intersection. Among them, the combination of metamaterials and electromechanical coupling materials (EMCMs) has shown great potential in intelligent systems by integrating the physical properties of both. On this basis, this review comprehensively summarizes the combination of metamaterials and EMCMs, aiming to point out a novel direction for future development of metamaterials, providing advanced solutions in fields such as energy harvesting, sensing, intelligent structures, and vibration suppression. Through reviewing the development process of metamaterials and EMCMs, the problems faced by traditional EMCMs are pointed out, and the necessity of introducing metamaterials to the development of EMCMs is highlighted. Detailed comparative analysis is conducted on the combination cases of metamaterials and EMCMs, extracting their collaborative working mechanism, and exploring development path of their combination. Finally, several research topics worthy of attention are pointed out from the perspectives of theoretical research, material design, manufacturing technology, functions, and applications.