Natural Materials in Functional Coatings

Dear Colleagues,

The Special Issue on “Natural Materials in Functional Coatings” would like to inspire researchers all over to world to contribute with their most exciting results in the area of natural materials (extracts, essential oils, individual compounds isolated from natural sources) for the development of functional coatings.

Nature reserves continues to surprise us regarding the properties and possible applications of natural materials. With the development of modern extraction methods (and the analytical tools necessary for their characterization), we are slowly rediscovering the potential of natural products. The incorporation of natural materials will offer not only “greener” alternatives for the coatings area but could also enhance their properties.

The term “functional coatings” will cover both their intrinsic functionality (such as, for example, superhydrophobicity, antimicrobial, antifouling, antireflective radar absorbing properties, and self-stratification, conductivity) and stimuli responsive functionality (such as thermochromic, color shifting, touch sensitive, corrosion- and explosive-resistant, self-healing, shape-memory materials, etc.).

Regardless of whether we are speaking of antimicrobial coatings for biomedical applications, coatings for increasing the shelf-life of commercial products, or coatings for the conservation of cultural heritage artifacts, and so on, the selected area will offer the interested reader an overlook of the recent developments recorded in recent years.

Original research and review papers are welcomed in the following topics (though not exclusively):

• Natural materials in antimicrobial coatings;
• Natural materials used in coatings for increasing the commercial products’ shelf-life;
• Natural materials for the development of protective coatings in cultural heritage applications;
• Natural materials for other functional coatings.

The works submitted to the Special Issue should contain details on the obtaining/characterization of the natural materials, incorporation in functional coatings, as well as the demonstration of the coatings’ properties.

Dr. Radu Claudiu Fierascu
Dr. Irina Fierascu
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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