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Coatings
Special Issues
Smart and Functional Coatings Advancements in Synthesis, Characterization and Application
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Smart and Functional Coatings Advancements in Synthesis, Characterization and Application

A special issue of Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412). This special issue belongs to the section "Surface Characterization, Deposition and Modification".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1545

Editors

Dr. Luigi Calabrese

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Messina, Contrada Di Dio (Sant'Agata), 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: functional materials; advanced composite materials; coatings; materials corrosion and durability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Davide Palamara

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Engineering, University of Messina, Contrada Di Dio (Sant'Agata), 98166 Messina, Italy
Interests: functional materials; advanced composite materials; coatings; sorption technology

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, “Smart and Functional Coatings Advancements in Synthesis, Characterization and Application", to be published in Coatings, seeks to highlight the latest research developments in the synthesis, characterization, and application of advanced coatings and surface treatments, involving the interest of researchers and specialists worldwide. The primary objective is to expand the current scientific understanding regarding recent innovations in smart and functional coatings utilized across various engineering disciplines. Submissions of original research and comprehensive review articles are strongly encouraged, particularly those demonstrating applied research implications across multiple industrial sectors (including, but not limited to, construction, energy, textiles, oil and gas, and automotive). Within this framework, significant attention will be given to research developments able to improve the applications and market extension of advanced solutions, thus providing an up-to-date focus on R&D activities within the domain of smart and functional coatings.

Dr. Luigi Calabrese
Dr. Davide Palamara
Guest Editors

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-anonymized 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

  • advanced coatings
  • material science and technology
  • functional materials
  • industrial applications
  • new material concepts
  • energy materials
  • sustainable materials
  • innovative technologies

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Review

32 pages, 7794 KB  
Review
Evolution of Functional Coatings on Metallic Substrates: Advanced Surface Solutions for Extreme Energy and Medical Applications
by Florentina Golgovici, Daniela Ionita, Radu Nartita, Mariana Prodana and Ioana Demetrescu
Coatings 2026, 16(7), 868; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16070868 - 20 Jul 2026
Viewed by 551
Abstract
Functional coatings have evolved from their early role as passive barriers against corrosion and wear into engineered interfaces that actively mediate the interaction between a bulk material and its environment. This review traces the evolution of coating technologies from traditional macroscopic protective layers [...] Read more.
Functional coatings have evolved from their early role as passive barriers against corrosion and wear into engineered interfaces that actively mediate the interaction between a bulk material and its environment. This review traces the evolution of coating technologies from traditional macroscopic protective layers to nanoscale and multifunctional systems, and finally to smart and stimuli-responsive architectures. Advanced deposition and surface modification techniques are examined, including atomic layer deposition, physical vapor deposition, electrochemical and sol–gel approaches. The discussion is structured around two complementary application domains: extreme energy environments, focusing on coatings developed for advanced nuclear systems, and modern medical implants, including bioactive and antimicrobial surfaces and drug-delivery interfaces. The review highlights that, despite the differences between reactor and biomedical environments, both sectors share a common set of design principles and challenges, including interfacial adhesion, mechanical durability, the dual role of nanostructuring, and the trade-off between architectural complexity and operational reliability. Long-term stability, scalability, and standardized validation remain key barriers to deployment, while data-driven design and the deliberate integration of multiple functions emerge as the principal directions for future development. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Functional Coatings Advancements in Synthesis, Characterization and Application)
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26 pages, 9919 KB  
Review
Application of Carbon Nanotube Coatings in Anti-Icing of Wind Turbine Blades: A Brief Review
by Tong Niu, Yan Li, Zhiyuan Liu and Jiaqi Liu
Coatings 2026, 16(6), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16060689 - 10 Jun 2026
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 585
Abstract
To meet practical needs such as anti-icing for wind turbine blades, carbon nanotube coatings (CNTCs)—known for their excellent mechanical properties, high strength, and high thermal conductivity—have emerged as a research hotspot in the field of coating materials and represent a promising option for [...] Read more.
To meet practical needs such as anti-icing for wind turbine blades, carbon nanotube coatings (CNTCs)—known for their excellent mechanical properties, high strength, and high thermal conductivity—have emerged as a research hotspot in the field of coating materials and represent a promising option for such applications. Outlines the key properties and mainstream preparation processes of CNT coatings, and provides an objective evaluation of research on their primary properties based on existing findings. Furthermore, to satisfy the comprehensive performance requirements of coatings in practical application scenarios, this paper proposes a property-balancing method for CNTCs specifically tailored to the anti-icing field of wind turbine blades. This method enables the coatings to fully satisfy the practical performance requirements in terms of strength and hydrophobicity, and avoids cost waste caused by excessive single performance beyond actual demands. It is expected to provide a reference for the application of CNTCs in related fields. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Smart and Functional Coatings Advancements in Synthesis, Characterization and Application)
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