Research Progress and Prospect of Functional Thin Films & Hard Protective Coatings
A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Thin Films".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 October 2025 | Viewed by 209
Special Issue Editor
Interests: photoelectric detection films and devices; hard coatings by Physical Vapor Deposition (PVD), and Chemical Vapor Deposition (CVD) methods; solar selective absorber coatings; first-principle calculations for nitrides and oxides
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Functional thin films and hard protective coatings are indispensable in advancing material performance across a broad range of industrial and technological domains. This Special Issue seeks to showcase state-of-the-art research and emerging trends in the design, synthesis, and applications of these coatings. It aims to explore their role in addressing challenges in durability, functionality, and environmental sustainability. Contributions are encouraged in areas ranging from fundamental studies to innovative applications, focusing on coating methods, novel materials, and advanced characterization techniques.
This Special Issue will address (but is not limited to) the following topics:
- Advanced deposition techniques for thin films and coatings, including Physical Vapor Deposition(PVD), Chemical Vapor Deposition(CVD), plasma electrolytic oxidation (PEO), and additive manufacturing methods like laser and 3D printing.
- Thin films for photoelectric detection, including those for UV, infrared detection, and other electromagnetic signals.
- Conducting oxide thin films transparent across infrared, visible, or UV spectra.
- High-entropy alloy coatings and their nitride or oxide derivatives.
- Hard coatings for enhanced wear, corrosion, and oxidation resistance.
- Diamond- and carbon-based thin films and coatings.
- Optical thin film materials: their design, preparation, and applications.
- Functional thin films and coatings for aerospace applications, including thermal control and protection, wear resistance, and anti-corrosion properties.
- Surface modification techniques, such as nitriding, boriding, and aluminizing, to enhance coating performance.
- Multi-layered, nanostructured, and composite thin films for AI and machine learning.
- Coatings with self-healing, anti-reflective, or photocatalytic functionalities.
- Computational & modeling for film/coating design and performance prediction.
I look forward to receiving your contributions.
Prof. Dr. Min Zhang
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Coatings is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- functional thin films and devices
- hard protective coatings
- advanced deposition techniques
- surface treatment & modification
- computations and modeling for materials design
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