Nature Reviews Chemistry, Published online: 08 June 2026; doi:10.1038/s41570-026-00837-4Addressing global challenges like climate change and pollution requires the development of advanced materials. To succeed, material scientists must use a diverse array of characterization tools. While often overshadowed by high-field systems, bench-top time-domain NMR offers unique advantages that could be instrumental in accelerating the development of sustainable material solutions.