Multifunctional Composites and Structures: Integrating Energy Storage, Sensing, and Load-Bearing Capabilities
A special issue of Applied Sciences (ISSN 2076-3417). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science and Engineering".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 May 2026 | Viewed by 2
Special Issue Editors
Interests: optical fiber sensors; optical fiber design; long-period fiber grating
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: interface mechanics; composite material mechanics; structural battery
Interests: composites; FGMs; finite element models; smart structures; optimization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Multifunctional composites that simultaneously bear mechanical loads, store energy, and sense their own condition are essential for advancing fields like aerospace, electric vehicles, and robotics. This Issue focuses on the innovative design and synergistic integration of these capabilities. Emphasis will be placed on novel material architectures, such as structural electrodes and solid electrolytes, and the advanced manufacturing processes that enable them. We particularly encourage contributions that explore the fundamental challenges of interfacial mechanics and mechano-electrochemical coupling. The integration of embedded systems, such as fiber optic sensors, for in operando monitoring of strain, health, and electrochemical state is also a crucial aspect. This Special Issue seeks to provide a platform for researchers to present cutting-edge work, foster interdisciplinary collaboration, and drive innovation in the evolving field of smart, energy-storing structures.
This Special Issue aims to publish high-quality papers that study the emerging important technologies in multifunctional composites. Research areas may include (but is not limited to) the following topics:
Design and fabrication of structural batteries and supercapacitors.
Interfacial mechanics in energy storage composites.
Mechano-electrochemical coupling.
Integrated sensing for smart structures.
In situ and in operando characterization.
Structural Health Monitoring (SHM).
Multi-physics modeling and simulation.
Reliability and safety of multifunctional devices.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Yiwei Ma
Dr. Hanbin Yin
Dr. Victor Franco Correia
Guest Editors
Manuscript Submission Information
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Keywords
- multifunctional composites
- fiber optic sensors
- structural batteries
- interfacial mechanics
- mechano-electrochemical coupling
- integrated sensing
- smart structures
- structural health monitoring (SHM)
- in-operando characterization
- multi-physics modeling
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