2D Materials-Based Thin Films and Coatings, 2nd Edition

Dear Colleagues,

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have moved well beyond their initial stage of research driven by curiosity. Following the remarkable rise of graphene, an expanding family of layered materials—including MXenes, boron nitride, transition metal dichalcogenides, layered double hydroxides, and others—has demonstrated extraordinary potential as functional components in thin films and protective coatings. Their atomically thin structure, high aspect ratio, impermeability to aggressive species, mechanical resilience, and tunable surface chemistry make them uniquely suited for engineering advanced barrier and multifunctional coatings.

Over the past decade, research has convincingly shown that incorporating 2D materials into coatings can dramatically extend diffusion paths for corrosive media, enhance mechanical integrity, and introduce new functionalities such as thermal stability, lubrication, electrical conductivity, and environmental resistance. However, despite these advances, the translation of 2D-material concepts into reliable, scalable, and application-ready coatings remains a key scientific and technological challenge. Issues such as dispersion stability, interfacial compatibility, processing routes, long-term durability, degradation mechanisms, and predictive modeling continue to limit widespread implementation in anticorrosion, high-temperature, high-stress, and extreme-environment applications.

This second edition of the Special Issue “2D Materials-Based Thin Films and Coatings” aims to capture the current maturity of the field by focusing not only on material novelty but also on design strategies, processing science, understanding of degradation, performance prediction, and real-world applicability of 2D material-based coatings.

We invite contributions that address both fundamental and applied aspects of thin films and coatings incorporating graphene and related 2D materials, with particular emphasis on durability, reliability, processing scalability, and multifunctional performance.

In particular, the topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Design of multifunctional coatings using graphene and beyond-graphene 2D materials;
• Dispersion science, interfacial engineering, and compatibility of 2D materials in coating matrices;
• Thin-film and coating fabrication routes (thermal spray, CVD, PVD, electrodeposition, additive manufacturing, laser/plasma processing, etc.);
• Anticorrosion and barrier mechanisms enabled by 2D materials;
• Performance of 2D material coatings under high temperature, high stress, friction, wear, and extreme environments;
• Degradation, failure, and aging mechanisms of 2D material coatings;
• Modeling and simulation for predicting coating performance, durability, and reliability;
• Self-lubricating, conductive, thermal, or smart coatings enabled by 2D materials;
• Scale-up challenges and industrial applicability of 2D material thin films and coatings.

This collection aims to serve as a platform to consolidate the transition of 2D materials in coatings from laboratory demonstrations to reliable engineering solutions.

Dr. Cristian Vacacela Gomez
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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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.

• graphene-based coatings
• two-dimensional nanomaterials
• anticorrosive coatings
• performance and reliability modeling
• multifunctional nanostructured materials
• interfacial engineering
• barrier mechanisms