Synthesis and Applications of Crystalline Nanoporous Materials

A Special Issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352) belonging to the section "Inorganic Crystalline Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 22 September 2026 | Viewed by 1542

Editors


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Guest Editor Assistant
National Institute for Research and Development in Electrochemistry and Condensed Matter, Condensed Matter Department, Dr. A. P. Podeanu 144, 300569 Timisoara, Romania
Interests: nanoporous materials; metal oxides; supercapacitors; sensor; X-ray difraction; dealloying; top-down synthesis; electrochemical properties; amorphous metallic alloys

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanoporous materials continue to attract growing interest due to their unique structural features, high internal surface areas, and potential for variations in nanoporosity depending on the targeted application. Their high surface-to-volume ratios enable advanced applications in catalysis, sensing, energy storage, optoelectronics, environmental remediation, and biomedical technologies.

The synthesis of these materials typically follows one of two approaches, depending on the starting point of production.

Bottom-up nanoporous materials are obtained through chemical, physical, or biological methods typically involving organic or inorganic frameworks. These methods construct nanoparticles at the atomic or molecular level and gradually build them into nanoscopic structures with the desired porosity.

In contrast, top-down approaches rely on transforming bulk solids into porous nanostructures using physical processes such as etching, milling, templating, or dealloying. A particularly powerful top-down strategy is dealloying, a selective corrosion-driven process in which electrochemically active elements are dissolved from an alloy, leaving behind an interconnected network composed predominantly of more noble atoms. Amorphous metallic alloys have emerged as ideal precursors for dealloying due to their homogeneous composition and absence of grain boundaries, secondary phases, or elemental segregation.

These two approaches represent the most promising pathways for designing crystalline porous structures with well-defined properties.

In particular, this Special Issue welcomes submissions focused on advanced synthesis routes for crystalline nanoporous materials using both bottom-up and top-down approaches, highlighting structural evolution, property optimization, novel crystalline architectures, theoretical modelling, and emerging applications in catalysis, sensing, energy systems, photonics, and beyond.

Dr. Mircea Nicolaescu
Guest Editor Assistant

Dr. Cornelia Bandas
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • nanoporous materials
  • metal-oxide semiconductors
  • dealloying processes
  • top-down synthesis
  • bottom-up synthesis
  • amorphous metallic alloys
  • framework
  • electrochemical properties
  • sensor integration
  • metal–oxide interaction

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 5300 KB  
Article
Microstructural and Mechanical Properties of Cobalt–Chromium Alloy Obtained by Laser Powder Bed Fusion for Biomedical Applications
by Ștefan Adrian Țîmpea, Roxana Muntean, Carmen Opriș, Dragoș Buzdugan, Adrian Dume, Cosmin Codrean and Viorel-Aurel Șerban
Crystals 2026, 16(7), 444; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst16070444 - 10 Jul 2026
Viewed by 441
Abstract
Cobalt–chromium (CoCr) alloys have gained significant importance in the field of medical implants due to their outstanding combination of mechanical strength and excellent wear and corrosion resistance. Compared with other state-of-the-art materials, such as stainless steel or titanium, CoCr alloys typically exhibit superior [...] Read more.
Cobalt–chromium (CoCr) alloys have gained significant importance in the field of medical implants due to their outstanding combination of mechanical strength and excellent wear and corrosion resistance. Compared with other state-of-the-art materials, such as stainless steel or titanium, CoCr alloys typically exhibit superior fatigue strength, which is particularly advantageous for implants and components exposed to long-term repetitive loading. The present study investigates the feasibility of using commercially available CoCr alloy powders in the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-LB/M) process for the fabrication of biomedical implants. Microstructural characterization of the PBF-LB/M-manufactured CoCr samples revealed a dense, refined cellular–dendritic microstructure with a high degree of densification, characteristic of the rapid solidification associated with the PBF-LB/M process. The evaluation of mechanical performance, wear behavior, and corrosion resistance provides valuable insights into the suitability of these alloys for biomedical applications, especially in the design of complex implants requiring enhanced durability and long-term reliability. Furthermore, compression testing highlighted the influence of layer orientation on mechanical properties, emphasizing the importance of strategic prototyping and building orientation selection in the PBF-LB/M process. Tribological behavior assessed under dry sliding conditions demonstrated a significantly reduced coefficient of friction and lower wear rate compared to a conventional 316L stainless steel, which is frequently used in similar applications. Corrosion resistance was evaluated by potentiodynamic polarization measurements in Ringer electrolyte, showing that the PBF-LB/M-fabricated CoCr samples exhibit good corrosion resistance in environments resembling physiological fluids. Overall, the PBF-LB/M technique represents a promising manufacturing route for next-generation CoCr biomedical implants, particularly for orthopedic and dental applications. Beyond the biomedical field, the findings of this study also support the potential extension of PBF-LB/M-processed CoCr alloys to industrial sectors requiring high wear and corrosion resistance, including aerospace and automotive applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Applications of Crystalline Nanoporous Materials)
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14 pages, 3986 KB  
Article
Enhanced Properties of Electrodes Based on Ti/TiO2-Au/rGO Composite Structures for Electrochemical Application
by Cornelia Bandas, Mina-Ionela Morariu, Corina Orha, Carmen Lazau and Mircea Nicolaescu
Crystals 2026, 16(5), 338; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst16050338 - 16 May 2026
Viewed by 656
Abstract
The increasing environmental pollution with emergent pollutants has led to the necessity to develop various structures for sensory applications used in water monitoring processes. In this context, this study presents a composite structure based on titanium foil/titanium dioxide/reduced graphene oxide functionalized with gold [...] Read more.
The increasing environmental pollution with emergent pollutants has led to the necessity to develop various structures for sensory applications used in water monitoring processes. In this context, this study presents a composite structure based on titanium foil/titanium dioxide/reduced graphene oxide functionalized with gold ions (Ti/TiO2-Au/rGO) obtained by a simple and efficient spin-coating method, successfully applied in electrochemical doxorubicin detection processes. The synthesis protocol first involves etching the titanium foil to form a Ti/TiO2 substrate, followed by the synthesis of the TiO2-Au/rGO solution, which was deposited by a spin-coating technique on the surface of the Ti/TiO2 support, to form electrodes based on a Ti/TiO2-Au/rGO composite structure. The structure and morphology of the as-synthesized composites were investigated in detail using X-ray analysis, Raman spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy coupled with an EDX. Furthermore, to determine the electroactive surface area and apparent diffusion coefficient of the composite structures, the electrochemical behavior was evaluated by CV in a 1 M KNO3 and in the presence of 4 mM K3Fe(CN)6. By using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) in 0.1 M NaOH supporting electrolyte and within a frequency range of 0.1–10,000 Hz and a voltage of 10 mV, the charge transfer resistance was also investigated. The potential application in electroanalysis of the electrodes was tested by CV for the detection of the DOX pollutant in 0.1 M NaOH and 1–5 mg L−1 DOX. The obtained results provide new insights into the development of electrochemical sensors for applications in water treatment processes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Applications of Crystalline Nanoporous Materials)
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