Megatrends in Colloids and Interface Science for the Net-Zero Transition
A Special Issue of Colloids and Interfaces (ISSN 2504-5377).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2027 | Viewed by 16
Editors
Interests: translational colloid and interface science for minerals, energy, and environment; droplet; bubble; emulsion; foam; liquid film; polymer; geopolymer; surfactant; biosurfactant; peptides; PFAS; micro/nano plastic; interfacial chemistry; adsorption; colloidal forces; surface forces; contact angle; flotation; dewatering; AFM; SFG
Interests: colloidal forces; surface forces; contact angle; electrical double layer; AFM; SFG; surfactant adsorption; foam; liquid film; flotation; coagulation; particle separation
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The global transition toward net-zero emissions is driving unprecedented demand for innovations in resource efficiency, critical minerals, clean energy technologies, environmental remediation, and circular manufacturing. At the heart of many of these challenges lie colloidal and interfacial phenomena that govern particle interactions, separation processes, transport mechanisms, material synthesis, and interfacial reactions.
Recent advances in experimental characterization, multiscale modelling, molecular simulation, and artificial intelligence have significantly enhanced our ability to understand, predict, and engineer colloidal and interfacial systems. These developments are transforming traditional fields such as mineral processing, flotation, and wastewater treatment while enabling emerging applications in energy storage, critical mineral recovery, carbon capture, advanced materials, and environmental sustainability. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are also accelerating materials discovery, process optimization, and mechanistic understanding of complex colloidal systems.
This Special Issue aims to highlight the megatrends shaping the future of colloid and interface science and engineering in support of the global net-zero transition. We welcome original research articles, reviews, perspectives, and communications that address the major scientific and technological directions in which colloid and interface science is expected to have a transformative impact over the next 10–30 years.
In particular, we seek contributions that explore the following six flagship megatrends aligned with the net-zero agenda:
- Critical Minerals and Circular Resource Recovery: The valorization of mine wastes and industrial residues; battery recycling; and the recovery of metals from e-waste.
- Electrified Interfacial Processes and Separations: Electrochemical separations and electrosynthesis; interfacial charge transfer and electrokinetic phenomena; and replacing thermal processes with renewable electricity-driven technologies.
- Energy Storage, Hydrogen, and Clean Energy Materials: Interfacial phenomena in supercapacitors and next-generation energy systems; hydrogen production and storage; and battery materials and recycling.
- Carbon Capture, Utilization, and Mineralization: Gas–liquid–solid interfaces in CO₂ capture; mineral carbonation and carbon locking; CO₂ mineralization in mine tailings and industrial residues; and interfacial control of nucleation, precipitation, and reactive transport.
- AI-Accelerated Discovery in Colloid and Interface Science: Bio-inspired and bio-based interfacial systems and tailored functional materials through interface design.
- Advanced Characterization and Multiscale Modelling of Interfaces: Machine learning force field and predictive modelling of complex colloidal systems and multiscale coupling from molecular to process scales.
We look forward to receiving your contributions.
Dr. Tuan Nguyen
Prof. Dr. Anh Nguyen
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. Colloids and Interfaces is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 1700 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
- critical minerals and resource recovery
- renewable-electricity-driven interfacial processes and separations
- energy storage, hydrogen, and clean energy materials
- carbon capture, utilization, and mineralization
- artificial intelligence for colloid and interface science
- bio-inspired and functional interfacial materials
- molecular simulation and multiscale modelling
- machine learning for complex colloidal systems
- net-zero technologies enabled by colloid and interface science
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