Announcements
30 January 2026
Batteries | Highly Viewed Papers in 2024–2025 and Special Issues on Emerging Battery Chemistries and Systems
We are delighted to share some highly viewed papers on emerging battery chemistries and systems that were published in Batteries (ISSN: 2313-0105) in 2024–2025. In addition, some Special Issues on this topic are open for submission. The following is a list of articles and Special Issues that we believe will interest you.
The list of relevant papers can be seen below:
1. “Lithium-Ion Supercapacitors and Batteries for Off-Grid PV Applications: Lifetime and Sizing”
by Tarek Ibrahim, Tamas Kerekes, Dezso Sera, Abderezak Lashab and Daniel-Ioan Stroe
Batteries 2024, 10(2), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries10020042
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/10/2/42
2. “Advancements in Lithium-Oxygen Batteries: A Comprehensive Review of Cathode and Anode Materials”
by Jing Guo, Xue Meng, Qing Wang, Yahui Zhang, Shengxue Yan and Shaohua Luo
Batteries 2024, 10(8), 260; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries10080260
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/10/8/260
3. “Anion Intercalation/De-Intercalation Mechanism Enabling High Energy and Power Densities of Lithium-Ion Capacitors”
by Yang Zhang, Junquan Lao and Ping Xiao
Batteries 2024, 10(9), 296; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries10090296
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/10/9/296
4. “On the Performance of Portable NiMH Batteries of General Use”
by Diego F. Quintero Pulido, Catalin Felix Covrig and Matthias Bruchhausen
Batteries 2025, 11(1), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries11010030
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/11/1/30
5. “Temperature-Dependent FTIRS Study of Manganese Oxide Spinel Obtained by Solution Combustion Synthesis (SCS) for Supercapacitor Applications”
by Taylan Karakoç, Sécou Sall and Sergey N. Pronkin
Batteries 2025, 11(2), 39; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries11020039
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/11/2/39
6. “Sodium-Ion Batteries: Applications and Properties”
by Petr Bača, Jiří Libich, Sára Gazdošová and Jaroslav Polkorab
Batteries 2025, 11(2), 61; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries11020061
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/11/2/61
7. “Heteroatom Doping Strategy of Advanced Carbon for Alkali Metal-Ion Capacitors”
by Ti Yin, Yaqin Guo, Xing Huang, Xinya Yang, Leixin Qin, Tianxiang Ning, Lei Tan, Lingjun Li and Kangyu Zou
Batteries 2025, 11(2), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries11020069
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/11/2/69
8. “Solid-State Lithium Batteries: Advances, Challenges, and Future Perspectives”
by Subin Antony Jose, Amethyst Gallant, Pedro Lechuga Gomez, Zacary Jaggers, Evan Johansson, Zachary Lapierre and Pradeep L. Menezes
Batteries 2025, 11(3), 90; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries11030090
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/11/3/90
9. “Synthesis and Electrochemical Characterization of Dissymmetric Tetrathiafulvalene Derivatives for Aqueous Rechargeable Batteries”
by João F. G. Rodrigues, Isabel C. Santos, Sandra Rabaca and Diogo M. F. Santos
Batteries 2025, 11(3), 92; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries11030092
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/11/3/92
10. “Design and Validation of Anode-Free Sodium-Ion Pouch Cells Employing Prussian White Cathodes”
by Ashley Willow, Marcin Orzech, Sajad Kiani, Nathan Reynolds, Matthew Houchell, Olutimilehin Omisore, Zari Tehrani and Serena Margadonna
Batteries 2025, 11(3), 97; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries11030097
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/11/3/97
11. “Water-in-Salt Electrolytes: Advances and Chemistry for Sustainable Aqueous Monovalent-Metal-Ion Batteries”
by Rashmi Nidhi Mishra, Anil Kumar Madikere Raghunatha Reddy, Marc-Antoni Goulet and Karim Zaghib
Batteries 2025, 11(4), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries11040120
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/11/4/120
12. “Recent Advances in the Application of MOFs in Supercapacitors”
by Christos Argirusis, Maria-Eleni Katsanou, Niyaz Alizadeh, Nikolaos Argirusis and Georgia Sourkouni
Batteries 2025, 11(5), 181; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries11050181
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/11/5/181
13. “Investigations of Dongyue Series Perfluorosulfonic Acid Membranes for Applications in Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs)”
by Ge Meng, Xiang Li, Mengjie Liu, Sergey A. Grigoriev, Ivan Tolj, Jiaqi Shen, Chaonan Yue and Chuanyu Sun
Batteries 2025, 11(7), 277; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries11070277
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/11/7/277
14. “Interface Stabilization of Aqueous Aluminum Batteries via Non-Flammable Co-Solvent”
by Keun-il Kim
Batteries 2025, 11(9), 324; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries11090324
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/11/9/324
15. “MXenes in Solid-State Batteries: Multifunctional Roles from Electrodes to Electrolytes and Interfacial Engineering”
by Francisco Márquez
Batteries 2025, 11(10), 364; https://doi.org/10.3390/batteries11100364
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2313-0105/11/10/364
Special Issues:
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| “Toward Next-Generation Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Batteries: Current Status and Future Prospects—2nd Edition” Guest Editor: Dr. Zhenzhen Wei Submission deadline: 16 July 2026 |
“Beyond Vanadium: New and Emerging Redox Flow Battery Chemistries” Guest Editor: Dr. Deborah Crittenden Submission deadline: 30 June 2026 |
You are invited to view and submit relevant papers to the journal Batteries at the following link:
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/batteries.
Batteries Editorial Office
26 January 2026
Batteries | Most Viewed Papers in 2025
23 January 2026
Batteries | Most Viewed Papers in 2024
22 January 2026
Batteries | Highly Cited Papers in 2025
22 January 2026
Batteries | Highly Cited Papers in 2024
16 January 2026
Interview with Mr. Ziqing Wang—Winner of the Batteries Travel Award
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Name: Mr. Ziqing Wang |
Self-introduction:
My name is Ziqing Wang, a PhD student at the University of Texas at Austin in the group of Prof. C. Buddie Mullins. I have developed multiple electrolyte systems for aqueous zinc-ion batteries to enable stable cycling at sub-zero temperatures and high voltages. My work also focuses on interfacial electrochemistry at the electrode surface to gain insights into reaction kinetics. I was awarded the University Graduate Continuing Fellowship (2024) and the ECS Joseph W. Richards Fellowship (2025). I have published 24 peer-reviewed articles (13 as first or co-first author) with an h-index of 16. I am also the co-founder and technical lead of StandUp Energy LLC. In my free time, I am an amateur bodybuilder.
The following is an interview with Mr. Ziqing Wang:
1. Could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little bit about your fields of interest?
I am currently a PhD student at The University of Texas at Austin. I received my bachelor’s degree from Central South University in China in 2020 and began my doctoral studies at UT Austin in 2021. My research focuses on electrochemical reactions at the electrode–electrolyte interface in zinc-ion batteries, with an emphasis on quantifying the intrinsic kinetic and thermodynamic parameters governing zinc metal plating and stripping. I further investigate how interfacial reaction activity varies across different electrode morphologies. In parallel with my academic research, I am a co-founder of a battery startup company developing 3D freestanding thick electrodes for flexible, high-energy-density lithium-ion batteries.
2. How does it feel to receive this recognition for your work? Where did you obtain the journal award participation information?
It is a great honor to receive this award, which recognizes my contributions to the battery research community. I learned about this award through the journal’s website.
3. Have you promoted it at a conference? In addition to promoting at the conference, how do you prefer to share the journal with your community?
I have already expressed my appreciation for this award and promoted the journal at a conference I attended in early 2026. I will continue to promote the journal and acknowledge this award at future conferences, including ECS, ACS, and MRS meetings.
4. How did winning this award impact your career, and what do you hope to do?
This award recognizes the work I have carried out over the past four years during my PhD studies and has given me great confidence as I prepare to face future challenges as a postdoctoral researcher. My long-term goal is to become a faculty researcher at a university, and this award will enable me to participate in additional conferences across the United States, helping me to further build my academic network.
5. What is the secret to a happy scientific life? Have you ever encountered any difficulties conducting research, and how did you overcome them?
For me, the driving force behind my research is curiosity. I approach each project with a genuine desire to understand how a system works and why it behaves the way it does. I deeply enjoy the process of decoding scientific puzzles and learning from the insights and feedback that emerge along the way. I am not motivated primarily by publications or immediate results; rather, I value what I discover and what I learn throughout the research process.
At the beginning of my PhD studies, I encountered significant challenges, most notably during the submission of my first manuscript. After a three-month revision and an extensive 80-page response to reviewers, the manuscript was ultimately rejected. I was deeply discouraged at the time. However, I soon came to understand that rejection is a common part of research and does not diminish the importance of the work itself. Through that project, I gained a deep understanding of cathode materials and ion intercalation mechanisms, which laid a strong foundation for my subsequent research. In retrospect, I am grateful to that reviewer for teaching me a crucial lesson early in my research career.
6. What is your opinion of the open access model of publishing?
I believe open access is an effective way to enable researchers to easily access scientific databases and accelerate the progress of science. However, it can also increase the financial burden on smaller research groups. As a result, some researchers may choose journals with lower publication fees, even if those journals have less visibility or reputation.
7. Which research topics do you think are of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
I strongly believe that advancing our understanding of electrochemical reactions at the electrode–electrolyte interface will continue to be a major focus of the field, particularly through the development and application of in situ characterization techniques and advanced electrochemical methods.
8. Do you have any advice for aspiring young researchers looking to make a meaningful impact in their respective fields?
I am still an early-career researcher and do not consider myself in a position to offer advice to my peers. However, I would encourage them to begin testing their ideas experimentally rather than letting them remain only as thoughts. Ideas without experimental validation rarely become meaningful scientific contributions.
9. Could you share your vision for the future of your research and the contributions you aspire to make in the field of Batteries?
I aim to leverage advanced electrochemical microscopy techniques to elucidate interfacial reaction mechanisms that underlie the observed promising performance. These insights will be highly valuable for the rational design of next-generation battery systems.
10. As the winner of this award, is there something you want to express or someone to thank most?
I am deeply grateful to my PI, Dr. Mullins, for his unwavering support throughout my PhD studies. Without his guidance and encouragement, I would not have been able to achieve what I have accomplished. I also sincerely appreciate the support and constructive feedback from my lab mates and collaborators, whose insightful suggestions and ideas were instrumental in refining and strengthening my projects.
9 January 2026
MDPI’s Newly Launched Journals in December 2025
We have expanded our open access portfolio with eight new journals publishing their inaugural issues in December 2025, as well as three journal transfers. These additions span physical sciences, social sciences, arts and humanities, environmental and Earth sciences, medicine and pharmacology, and public health and healthcare. We extend our sincere thanks to the Editors-in-Chief, Associate Editors, and Editorial Board Members who are shaping these journals’ direction. All journals uphold strong editorial standards through a thorough peer review process, ensuring impactful open access scholarship.
Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.
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New Journals |
Founding Editor-in-Chief(s) |
Journal Topics (Selected) |
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Dr. Elisa Felicitas Arias, Université PSL, France |
atomic clocks; time and frequency metrology; GNSS systems; relativity and relativistic timekeeping; fundamental physics in space | |
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Prof. Dr. José F.F. Mendes, University of Aveiro, Portugal |
complex systems; network science; nonlinear dynamics and chaotic behaviour; information theory and complexity; computational complexity | |
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Prof. Dr. Roberto Morandotti, Institut National de la Recherche Scientifique—Énergie, Matériaux et Télécommunications (INRS), Canada |
light generation; light sources and applications; light control and measurement; human responses to light; lighting design | |
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Prof. Dr. Savvas A. Chatzichristofis, Neapolis University Pafos, Cyprus |
generative AI and large language models in education; multimodal and embodied AI; personalization and adaptive systems; assessment, feedback, and academic integrity; learning analytics | |
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Prof. Dr. Jon Andoni Duñabeitia, Universidad Nebrija, Spain |
cognitive psychology; cognitive neuroscience; psycholinguistics; applied linguistics; experimental psychology | |
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Prof. Dr. Caiwu Fu, Wuhan University, China; Prof. Dr. Longxi Zhang, Peking University, China |
cultural practices; cultural theory; cultural policy; cultural heritage; transregional and transnational cultural flows| |
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Dr. Ghassem R. Asrar, iCREST Environmental Education Foundation, USA |
biosphere interactions, processes, and sustainability; ecosystem science and dynamics; biodiversity conservation; global change and environmental adaptation; biogeochemical cycles | |
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Dr. Giuseppe Mulè, University of Palermo, Italy |
cardiorenal syndromes; chronic heart failure and chronic kidney disease; cardiorenalmetabolic syndrome; hypertension and diabetes in relation to the abovementioned syndromes; diagnostic techniques | |
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Transferred Journals |
Editor-in-Chief |
Journal Topics (Selected) |
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Prof. Dr. Peter Matt, Lucerne Cantonal Hospital (LUKS), Switzerland |
cardiology; cardiovascular and aortic surgery; cardiovascular anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology; congenital heart disease and pediatric cardiology; cardiovascular regenerative and reparative medicine | |
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Prof. Dr. Oana Săndulescu, Carol Davila University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania; National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Prof. Dr. Matei Bals”, Romania |
infectious diseases across clinical and public health domains; epidemiology of communicable diseases; clinical microbiology and applied virology; vaccinology and immunization; host–pathogen interactions and immunity | |
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Dr. Roxana Elena Bohiltea, “Carol Davila” University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Romania |
public health; disease prevention; screening and early detection; lifestyle interventions and health education; digital and innovative prevention | |
We would like to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. If you would like to create more new journals, you are welcome to send an application here, or contact the New Journal Committee (newjournal-committee@mdpi.com).
7 January 2026
Batteries | Issue Cover Collection Published in 2025
We are delighted to present a list of Issue Cover Articles selected for display in volume 11 of Batteries (ISSN: 2313-0105). These papers cover a wide range of topics, including battery electrode material innovation, thermal management, safety analysis, optimization of energy storage systems, etc. We hope you will find something of interest among these exceptional publications.
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1. “A Polymer-Binder-Free Approach to Creating Functional LiFePO4 Cathodes by Organic Ionic Plastic Crystal-Derived Ion-Conductive Binders” |
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2. “Lithium Tracer Diffusion in LixCoO2 and LixNi1/3Mn1/3Co1/3O2 (x = 1, 0.9, 0.65)-Sintered Bulk Cathode Materials for Lithium-Ion Batteries” |
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3. “Air-Outlet and Step-Number Effects on a Step-like Plenum Battery’s Thermal Management System” |
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4. “Ion and Water Transports in Double Gyroid Nanochannels Formed by Block Copolymer Anion Exchange Membranes” |
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5. “A Review of Battery Energy Storage Optimization in the Built Environment” |
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6. “Detailed Characterization of Thermal Runaway Particle Emissions from a Prismatic NMC622 Lithium-Ion Battery” |
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7. “Impact of Temperature and Depth of Discharge on Commercial Nickel Manganese Oxide and Lithium Iron Phosphate Batteries After Three Years of Aging” |
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8. “Influence of Pulse Duration on Cutting-Edge Quality and Electrochemical Performance of Lithium Metal Anodes” |
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9. “Effect of Short-Chain Polymer Binders on the Mechanical and Electrochemical Performance of Silicon Anodes” |
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10. “Hollow Carbon Nanorod-Encapsulated Eu2O3 for High-Energy Hybrid Supercapacitors” |
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11. “Techno-Economic and Environmental Viability of Second-Life EV Batteries in Commercial Buildings: An Analysis Using Real-World Data” |
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12. “NiCo2O4 Electrodes Prepared by Inkjet Printing on Kapton Substrates for Flexible Supercapacitor Applications” |
5 January 2026
“Energy Materials and Battery Technology” Workshop Summary
From 18 to 20 December 2025, the “Energy Materials and Battery Technology” Workshop was held in Wuhan, China. This collaborative event between MDPI and the Wuhan University of Science and Technology (WUST) was chaired by Prof. Kaifu Huo (Huazhong University of Science and Technology), an Editorial Board Member of Batteries (ISSN: 2313-0105).
The workshop featured 17 expert presentations that addressed the full lifecycle of battery technology—from foundational material design to end-of-life recycling. Technical highlights included the following:
- Advanced Anode and Cathode Engineering: Research progress on silicon-based anodes (from nano to micro-scale) and next-generation cathode materials for wide-temperature applications;
- Next-Generation Systems: Deep dives into wide-temperature polymer-based solid-state batteries, lithium-ion capacitors, and the design of high-performance manganese-based materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries;
- Innovative Platforms: The introduction of carbon nanocages as new platform materials for energy storage and the development of novel “colloidal” flow batteries;
- Catalysis and Sustainability: Advanced oxygen reduction catalysts for fuel cells and “liquid-to-solid” catalytic strategies for lithium–sulfur batteries. Notably, the workshop highlighted green recycling methods that utilize electrochemical reactions to recover key metals without external chemical reagents;
- Structural Innovations: The value-added utilization of lignocellulose through supramolecular engineering for smart energy storage devices.
A central highlight was the roundtable session chaired by Prof. Nianjun Yang (Hasselt University, Belgium). The panel discussed the “0 to 1” philosophy of material innovation versus the “1 to 100” challenge of industrial scaling. A significant portion of the dialogue focused on the role of AI; the panel emphasized that it cannot replace the creative intuition of the next generation of scientists. Regarding publishing ethics, Ms. Dalia Su (MDPI Publisher) clarified that while AI tools are permitted for auxiliary tasks such as language editing, they are strictly prohibited from being credited as authors or used by reviewers in the peer-review process.
By integrating these diverse research threads, Batteries continues to strengthen its role as a bridge between pioneering scholarship and global industrial application, accelerating the transition toward a sustainable energy future.
31 December 2025
MDPI INSIGHTS: The CEO's Letter #30 - Scaling with Integrity, Highly Cited Researchers, KEMÖ Consortium, Michele Parrinello, and Best PhD Thesis Awards
Welcome to the MDPI Insights: The CEO's Letter.
In these monthly letters, I will showcase two key aspects of our work at MDPI: our commitment to empowering researchers and our determination to facilitating open scientific exchange.
Opening Thoughts
With colleagues at MDPI headquarters in Basel, representing the people behind our global growth and shared commitment to integrity.
Scaling with Integrity: A Year of Growth, Responsibility, and Trust
When I look back on 2025, one phrase seems to sum up the year: “Scaling with integrity.” That was our watchword for 2025, and it will remain so as we move forward in to 2026.
Our journal portfolio continued to grow in 2025, reflecting the trust of a widening proportion of the scholarly community.
Today, MDPI has 355 journals indexed in Scopus and 330 in Web of Science – a testimonial to the scale at which our journals meet established external quality criteria. During the year, 45 of our journals were newly accepted into Scopus and 29 into Web of Science (this excludes transferred journals to our portfolio that were already indexed), following rigorous, independent evaluation by the world’s leading indexing bodies
Meeting external quality benchmarks
These results underline the fact that scaling responsibly is not only about expanding our catalogue, but also about meeting external quality benchmarks consistently, transparently, and at scale. Our indexing performance remains one of the strongest independent validations of MDPI’s commitment to rigor, trust, and long-term sustainability.
Over the course of 2025, we made targeted investments to ensure that the integrity of our editorial process scaled to keep pace with our growth. We strengthened our editorial governance by doubling down on our dedicated Publication Ethics department, appointing a Head of Ethics, and expanding our research integrity team by the addition of new specialists plus the creation of embedded editorial ethics roles across key journals. We also introduced new internal ethics guidelines, pre-review integrity checks, and monitoring dashboards to help teams identify potential issues and apply consistent standards across our portfolio.
Besides investing in systems and tools, we of course also invested heavily in our people and culture, delivering organisation-wide training on topics such as image integrity, AI use in publishing, and ethical oversight, while actively engaging with the wider publishing community through COPE and STM forums.
All these efforts reflect a simple principle: growth only matters if it is matched by rigor, responsibility, and trust.
Technology and AI: Supporting the editorial decision-making process
At MDPI, AI is designed to assist, not replace, editorial decision-making. It is one element in a broader system that combines people, technology, and processes to support scale responsibly.
In 2025, we continued to invest heavily in technology that supports quality rather than shortcuts. Our AI team doubled in size, ensuring that increased automation goes hand-in-hand with expertise and oversight. Proprietary AI tools such as Scholar Finder have significantly improved the precision of reviewer matching, while Ethicality has been widely adopted across editorial workflows to identify contextual signals, such as scope alignment and citation behaviour, so that human judgment can be applied where it matters most.
Partnerships: Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) agreements and Societies
Our recent growth is also reflected in the strength of our partnerships. In 2025, we entered into more than 150 new IOAP agreements, bringing our total to 975 active agreements worldwide. This activity included the signing of our first-ever consortium agreements in North America, renewals of all major national consortia in the UK, Switzerland, Sweden, Norway, Austria, and Croatia, and the conclusion of several flat-fee agreements. At the same time, we concluded a total of 30 agreements, encompassing 24 new Society affiliations, four strategic publishing partnerships, and two journal acquisitions.
In 2025, we opened MDPI USA in Philadelphia – our latest global office, which complements our Toronto office in representing North America. MDPI USA is responsible for accelerating Open Access in the US through ongoing support of our scholars and for expanding our institutional and society partnerships.
On the other side of the globe, meanwhile, we signed an IOAP agreement in India, allowing researchers discounted Article Processing Charges (APCs), streamlined APC management for universities, and visibility into submissions, supporting India’s push for wider Open Access by offering flexible models and helping institutions meet national mandates such as Plan S.
Sustainability, sponsorships and awards
We continued to expand our sustainability efforts during 2025, hosting the 11th World Sustainability Forum, awarding CHF 125,000 in sustainability-related funding, and launching the Z-Forum on Sustainability and Innovation conference, which will officially take place in January 2026.
We also saw a record year for conference sponsorships and awards (while establishing new awards such as the Michele Parrinello Award), recognising scholars across disciplines and reinforcing our commitment to supporting the global research community at every stage of the academic journey.
Deepening our relationships
In 2025, I had the opportunity to travel more widely than ever before on MDPI business, meeting many of our stakeholders face to face and relishing the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of their science communication needs. It was also excellent to visit a large number of MDPI offices and witness the commitment and service orientation of so many of our colleagues around the world. I shall resume my itinerary in the new year, and I look forward to many more such interactions.
Looking ahead to 2026, we will be celebrating a very significant milestone: 30 years of MDPI. From our foundation as a single Open Access journal in 1996 to the global publishing organisation we are today, our mission has remained consistent: advancing Open Access through rigorous and trustworthy scientific communication.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our stakeholders – authors, Editors-in-Chief, Editorial Board members, and reviewers – who have placed their trust in us during 2025. On behalf of the entire MDPI team, I look forward to deepening our relationships yet further in 2026 and celebrating 30 Years of Open Science at MDPI, something we’ve built together.
Basel, Switzerland, where MDPI was founded in 1996.
Impactful Research
621 MDPI Editors Named Highly Cited Researchers in 2025
I am pleased to share an important milestone for our editorial community and for MDPI. In late November, Clarivate announced the 2025 Highly Cited Researchers, and 621 MDPI Editorial Board Members were included among the most influential scientific contributors over the past decade!
The 621 editors come from 33 countries, representing 21 scientific disciplines, and account for nearly one in every ten Highly Cited Researchers globally. This recognition speaks to the depth of expertise across our Editorial Boards and the strength of the scientific communities that choose to collaborate with MDPI. It is important to note that while citation metrics are not in themselves a proxy for quality, they do offer one lens on sustained scientific influence.
“Our strength comes from the scientific communities who choose to work with us”
Why this is important
Having more than 600 editors recognized on this list highlights:
- The high level of expertise guiding peer review across our journals
- The global and disciplinary diversity within our Editorial Boards
- Our commitment to maintaining strong, knowledgeable, and engaged editorial oversight
Impactful science is of course shaped by broad, diverse research communities, and no single metric captures the full picture of research quality. However, this recognition does serve as meaningful, independent affirmation of the calibre of many editors who contribute to MDPI’s work.
A closer look at the recognition
Clarivate’s methodology highlights researchers whose publications rank in the top one per cent by citation count, reflecting consistent influence over the past decade. The process includes:
- Evaluation of c. 200,000 highly cited papers
- Removal of retracted publications
- Filtering of papers with unusually large authorship groups to focus on clear contributions
That so many of our editors meet these thresholds reflects the impact of the communities behind our journals.
What this means going forward
This recognition underlines the fact that our strength comes from the scientific communities who choose to work with us.
For authors, partners, and readers, it confirms that:
- MDPI journals benefit from editorial guidance grounded in active, high-impact research
- Our Editorial boards include leaders who are helping shape the future direction of their fields
- MDPI continues to attract experts who value openness, efficiency, and scientific integrity
For our internal teams, it is a reminder that the work we do every day (supporting editors, refining workflows, and improving systems) directly contributes to the trust placed in MDPI by researchers worldwide.
Thank you to all our editorial teams, publishing staff, and journal relationship specialists, and to everyone who collaborates with our Editorial Boards. Achievements like this are only possible because of your ongoing hard work, dedication, and collaboration.
From our first annual MDPI UK Summit in Manchester, bringing together over 30 Chief Editors and Editorial Board Members to discuss MDPI’s mission, achievements, and collaborations in the UK.
Inside MDPI
MDPI Launches the Michele Parrinello Award for Computational Physical Science
In case you missed it, in November, we announced the launch of the Michele Parrinello Award. This new biennial international award will recognize pioneering contributions in computational physical science. The award honours Michele Parrinello, one of the most influential scientists of the past half-century in atomistic simulations and computational materials research.
This award reflects MDPI’s long-standing commitment to recognizing scientific excellence, supporting foundational research, and inspiring the next generation of scholars across disciplines.
“Be confident that what you do is meaningful”
Honouring a transformative scientific legacy
Professor Parrinello’s work has fundamentally reshaped how scientists model matter at the atomic scale. Together with Roberto Car, he introduced ab initio molecular dynamics, widely known as the Car–Parrinello method, opening new pathways in electronic structure calculations and molecular simulations. His subsequent contributions, including the Parrinello–Rahman method and metadynamics, have become core tools across physics, chemistry, materials science, and increasingly biology.
“Do not be afraid of new things. I see it many times when we discuss a new thing that young people are scared to go against the mainstream a little bit, thinking, ‘What is going to happen to me?’ and so on. Be confident that what you do is meaningful, and do not be afraid, do not listen too much to what other people have to say.”
– Professor Michele Parrinello
A global, community-led award
The award committee is chaired by Xin-Gao Gong, Professor of Physics at Fudan University and academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
The Institute for Computational Physical Sciences at Fudan University will serve as the supporting institute, reinforcing the award’s international and cross-cultural foundation.
Nominations for the first edition of the Michele Parrinello Award opened on 1 November 2025, with submissions accepted until March 2026. The award will recognize scientists whose work has advanced computational physical science across physics, chemistry, and materials research – fields increasingly central to energy, sustainability, advanced manufacturing, and technological innovation.
Why this matters for MDPI
The Michele Parrinello Award is part of the MDPI Sustainability Foundation, which supports science as a driver of long-term societal progress.
Alongside other foundation-level honours, including the World Sustainability Award, the Emerging Sustainability Leader Award, and the Tu Youyou Award, this new prize builds on our role in supporting excellence across career stages and disciplines.
MDPI journals and programs continue to recognize researchers through Best Paper Awards, Young Investigator Awards, Travel Awards, Best PhD Thesis Awards, and Outstanding Reviewer Awards. Together, these initiatives reflect a simple belief: strong scientific communities are built through recognition, trust, and sustained support.
As MDPI approaches its 30th anniversary, the launch of the Michele Parrinello Award highlights our commitment not only to publishing research but also to helping shape the future of science by celebrating those who expand its boundaries.
Coming Together for Science
KEMÖ Consortium (Austria) Extends Open Access Agreement with MDPI until 2027
I’m pleased to share that MDPI has renewed its Institutional Open Access Program (IOAP) agreement with the Austrian library consortium KEMÖ, extending our partnership through 2027.
The renewed agreement now includes 23 Austrian institutions, with the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences (BOKU) joining the partnership. Participating institutions benefit from APC discounts across MDPI’s more than 495 journals, with centralized funding options further reducing the administrative burden for researchers and libraries.
“This renewal reflects shared commitment to advancing Open Access publishing in Europe”
Austria continues to be an important and engaged research community for MDPI, with 525+ Austrian Editorial Board Members, eight Editors-in-Chief, and 15 Section Editors-in-Chief contributing to our journals.
This renewal reflects long-term trust and shared commitment to advancing Open Access publishing in Europe, and improves MDPI’s collaboration with national OA infrastructures such as the Open Access Monitor Austria. Such long-term agreements show how MDPI’s growth is increasingly built on institutional trust, collaboration, and shared commitment to Open Access.
A big thank-you to the IOAP team and everyone involved in supporting this partnership.
Closing Thoughts
Celebrating the Next Generation of Scholars: MDPI’s 2024 Best PhD Thesis Awards
One of the privileges of working in scholarly publishing is supporting the beginning of new scientific journeys. We recently announced the recipients of MDPI’s 2024 Best PhD Thesis Awards, recognizing some of the most promising emerging researchers across disciplines.
These awards do more than celebrate academic excellence. They reflect something deeper about our mission: supporting the next generation of authors and the future of Open Science.
Recognition of Excellence
This year, we made awards to 55 early-career researchers across seven fields:
- Biology and Life Sciences
- Chemistry and Materials Science
- Computer Science and Mathematics
- Engineering
- Environmental and Earth Sciences
- Medicine and Pharmacology
- Interdisciplinary ‘Other’ fields
For those of you who have completed a PhD, you’ll know first-hand that behind each number is a story of perseverance, curiosity, and sustained effort. These researchers represent institutions around the world, with thesis topics spanning:
- Brain–machine interfaces and neural engineering
- Sustainable materials and next-generation batteries
- Cancer genomics, tumour microenvironments, and immunotherapy
- AI-driven image analysis, robotics, and computational models
- Climate change monitoring and environmental risk assessment
- Regenerative medicine, biomaterials, and drug development
These dissertations are early signs of the scientific directions that will shape the coming decade.
“Our mission is about building a global community of authors”
Why this is important
Every year, millions of scholars begin their research careers with limited visibility and few platforms for sharing their work. By recognizing outstanding PhD theses, we elevate authors early in their academic journeys, build MDPI’s connection to the global research community, reinforce our commitment to quality and rigor, and highlight the depth and breadth of scholarship published across our portfolio (from biology to materials science to mathematics).
A foretaste of the future
These 55 awardees represent the next generation of researchers whose work will influence science, policy, and society in the years ahead. What we support today helps shape the scientific ecosystem of tomorrow. Our mission goes beyond publishing papers. It is about building a global community of authors who will define the next era of scientific discovery.
To explore more about MDPI Awards, including current and upcoming Best PhD Thesis Awards, please click here.
Thank you to the editors, reviewers, and teams across MDPI who make these awards possible each year.
Everything we achieved this year was made possible by the collective effort of our global teams and the trust placed in us by the scholarly community. Thank you again, and here’s to the successful continuation of our collaboration in 2026!
Chief Executive Officer
MDPI AG
