We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Yuguang Ma has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944), and he will be working alongside the current Editor-in-Chief, Prof. Dr. Maryam Tabrizian of McGill University to jointly lead the development of the journal.

Prof. Dr. Yuguang Ma is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, a Distinguished Professor of the Chang Jiang Scholars Program, and a recipient of the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars. He currently serves as a professor and doctoral supervisor at South China University of Technology, and he is the Director of the State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices.

Prof. Dr. Ma has held academic positions at Jilin University, the University of Hong Kong, and the University of Cambridge, and has led more than ten national key research projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Ministry of Science and Technology, and other authorities. He has published over 300 peer-reviewed papers in high-impact journals, and his work has been widely cited globally.

His research focuses on organic and polymer optoelectronic functional materials and devices, including conjugated polymers, electrochemically crosslinked polymers, small-molecule optoelectronic crystals, and electroluminescent phosphorescent materials and devices. He pioneered innovative concepts, such as hybridized localized and charge-transfer (HLCT) excited states and hot excitons, and he discovered the X-aggregation packing mode that resolves aggregation-caused quenching and enables highly efficient blue emission. He also invented the electropolymerization method for organic light-emitting thin films, enabling low-cost, patterned device fabrication.

The following is an interview with Prof. Dr. Yuguang Ma who shared his views about the journal:

1. What is your vision for the future development of Materials?
I hope to work closely with the journal team to build Materials into a high-quality open access journal with strong international influence in the field of materials science, comprehensively covering fundamental research, frontier innovations, and engineering applications. Particular emphasis will be placed on promoting interdisciplinary integration, especially in areas such as optoelectronic functional materials, energy materials, biomedical materials, advanced polymers, nanomaterials, and smart materials, helping accelerate the transition of new materials from laboratory research to industrial applications. At the same time, we will uphold rigorous academic standards, optimize the peer-review process, and enhance the journal’s global visibility and academic reputation in order to better serve materials researchers worldwide.

2. How do you view the future development trends in materials science?
Materials science is entering a new stage characterized by multifunctionality, intelligence, sustainability, and precision, and it serves as a core foundation for technological advancement and industrial upgrading. Key future directions include high-performance optoelectronic information materials, next-generation energy storage and conversion materials, biocompatible and regenerative medical materials, low-carbon and environmentally friendly functional materials, AI-assisted materials design, and high-throughput synthesis technologies. Materials science will continue to provide critical solutions to global challenges related to energy, the environment, health, and information technologies. Materials will continue to follow and help lead these cutting-edge developments.

3. What are your views on the open access (OA) publishing model?
I strongly support the open access publishing model. OA removes barriers to academic knowledge, enabling researchers worldwide to freely access cutting-edge research findings. In particular, it greatly benefits researchers in developing countries by facilitating knowledge sharing, accelerating scientific progress and technology transfer, and enhancing both academic impact and societal value. OA represents an inevitable trend in scholarly publishing. Although challenges such as publication funding remain, high-quality and accessible publishing can be achieved through the joint efforts of journals, institutions, and funding agencies. As a high-quality OA journal, Materials will continue contributing to the broad dissemination of knowledge in materials science.

4. From serving as an editorial board member to becoming Co-Editor-in-Chief, what valuable experience have you gained?
My years of experience as an editorial board member have taught me that academic quality is the lifeline of a journal, while open collaboration is the driving force behind its development. These experiences will help me fulfill my responsibilities as Co-Editor-in-Chief in several ways:

• Upholding academic rigor: Maintaining strict standards for peer review and promoting objective, efficient, and constructive evaluations to safeguard the journal’s academic credibility;
• Promoting interdisciplinary collaboration: Balancing fundamental research with practical applications, while building a platform for communication across materials physics, chemistry, engineering, biology, and information science, and encouraging the publication of original and breakthrough achievements;
• Strengthening the academic community: Working closely with editorial board members, young scholars, reviewers, and readers, listening to the needs of frontline researchers, staying attentive to emerging trends, and creating a vibrant and engaging platform for academic exchange.

5. As Co-Editor-in-Chief, what will be your top priorities in the future?
In the future, I will focus on three core tasks to further elevate Materials:

• Enhancing the journal’s academic impact: Prioritizing the publication of high-quality research in areas such as optoelectronic materials, energy materials, and functional polymers, while strengthening the journal’s distinctive identity and visibility within the field;
• Optimizing the publishing workflow and services: Continuously improving manuscript quality and processing efficiency, while expanding the promotion of outstanding research through multiple dissemination channels;
• Supporting the next generation of scholars: Further developing the young editorial board system, organizing frontier forums and international conferences in materials science, nurturing young researchers, and building a strong foundation for the journal’s long-term development.

We warmly welcome Prof. Dr. Yuguang Ma as Editor-in-Chief and look forward to his outstanding leadership and vision to advance the high-quality development and international influence of Materials.