Search for Articles:
Title / Keyword
Author / Affiliation / Email
Journal
Article Type
 
 
Advanced Search
 
Section
Special Issue
Volume
Issue
Number
Page
 
4.2
2.4
Journals
Crystals
Special Issues
Advanced Surface Engineering Materials: Characterization and Properties (2nd Edition)
share announcement

Advanced Surface Engineering Materials: Characterization and Properties (2nd Edition)

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Inorganic Crystalline Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 November 2025 | Viewed by 1705

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Eleonora Bolli

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Istituto di Struttura della Materia, ISM-CNR, 00015 Monterotondo Stazione, Italy
Interests: surface characterizations; nanostructured materials; nanotechnology; ultra-thin films; spectroscopy; microscopy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Alessandra Varone

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico, 1-00133 Rome, Italy
Interests: materials characterizations; X-ray diffraction; scanning electron microscopy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Alessandra Palombi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Industrial Engineering, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Via del Politecnico, 1-00133 Rome, Italy
Interests: surface characterization; X-ray diffraction; Ni-base superalloys

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is well known that the surface of a solid influences many of its physical, chemical and mechanical properties, such as its electronics, optics, catalytic activity, biocompatibility, resistance to corrosion, etc. These surface properties can be manipulated and improved through modifications to the solid’s chemical composition, morphology and thermomechanical treatments, and a vast number of resources are therefore being invested in in order to study engineered and nanostructured surfaces. This is an emerging area of research applied in the fields of sustainable and renewable energies, sensors, and biomedical engineering, among numerous others.

The purpose of this Special Issue is to collect relevant research contributions on surfaces modified by the deposition of crystalline ultra-thin films and functionalized coatings as well as surface property changes induced by heat, plasma and laser treatments.

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

  • Surface morphology and structure;
  • Surface modifications and treatments;
  • Techniques for manufacturing engineered surfaces;
  • Thin coatings;
  • Surface-sensitive techniques;
  • Structural and chemical surface properties.

Dr. Eleonora Bolli
Dr. Alessandra Varone
Dr. Alessandra Palombi
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Crystals 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 2100 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

  • surface characterization
  • ultra-thin films
  • surface treatments
  • functionalized surface
  • SPM techniques

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

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

Published Papers (2 papers)

Download All Papers
Order results
Result details
Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

Jump to: Review

16 pages, 5494 KiB  
Article
Growth and Faceting of Tungsten and Oxides in Scandate Cathode Particles during In Situ Heating in the Scanning Electron Microscope
by Huanhuan Bai and Thomas John Balk
Crystals 2024, 14(10), 840; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst14100840 - 27 Sep 2024
Viewed by 1072
Abstract
Tungsten-based scandate dispenser cathodes are promising next-generation thermionic electron sources for vacuum electron devices, due to their excellent emission performance at temperatures lower than those required for conventional cathodes. There has been a significant recent effort to understand scandate cathode performance and to [...] Read more.
Tungsten-based scandate dispenser cathodes are promising next-generation thermionic electron sources for vacuum electron devices, due to their excellent emission performance at temperatures lower than those required for conventional cathodes. There has been a significant recent effort to understand scandate cathode performance and to characterize the tungsten and other materials on the emitting surface, primarily via the study of cathodes before and after emission testing. Moreover, these scandate cathodes have typically been characterized at room temperature only. In situ observations of scandate cathodes is challenging, as these devices are thermionic emitters that operate in a high-vacuum environment, and because the sizes of relevant material features range from the micron (2.0 µm) to the nanometer (<50 nm diameter) length scales. In the current study, a series of in situ heating experiments was conducted on un-activated impregnated scandate cathode fragments, utilizing a micro-electro-mechanical system-based heater chip in a scanning electron microscope, enabling the real-time observation of cathode material evolution at elevated temperature (up to 1200 °C) under a pressure of 10−6 to 10−7 mbar. This study revealed how impregnant materials grow and migrate within the cathode matrix at elevated temperatures, and these observations are key to a thorough understanding of the behavior of scandate cathode materials. It also enabled direct observation of the incipient faceting of tungsten surfaces at high temperature while surrounded by impregnant materials. These are the first in situ observations of scandate cathode material evolution in relevant environmental conditions and at sufficiently high resolution to provide insights into the morphological and phase changes that occur in the near-surface regions of scandate cathodes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Surface Engineering Materials: Characterization and Properties (2nd Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

22 pages, 1675 KiB  
Review
Plasma Spraying of W Coatings for Nuclear Fusion Applications: Advancements and Challenges
by Ekaterina Pakhomova, Alessandra Palombi and Alessandra Varone
Crystals 2025, 15(5), 408; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15050408 - 26 Apr 2025
Viewed by 192
Abstract
The selection of a suitable plasma-facing material (PFM) that must protect the divertor, cooling systems, and structural components is an important challenge in the design of advanced fusion reactors and requires careful consideration. Material degradation due to melting and evaporation may lead to [...] Read more.
The selection of a suitable plasma-facing material (PFM) that must protect the divertor, cooling systems, and structural components is an important challenge in the design of advanced fusion reactors and requires careful consideration. Material degradation due to melting and evaporation may lead to plasma contamination, which must be strictly avoided. Among the candidate materials, tungsten (W) is the most promising because of its thermo-mechanical and physical properties, which allow it to endure repeated exposure to extremely harsh conditions within the reactor. The plasma spraying (PS) technique is gaining increasing interest for the deposition of tungsten (W) coatings to protect heat sink materials, due to its relatively low cost, high deposition rates, and capability to coat complex-shaped surfaces and fix damaged coatings in situ. This review aims to provide a systematic assessment of tungsten (W) coatings produced by PS techniques, evaluating their suitability as PFMs. It discusses W-based materials, plasma spraying technologies, the role of the interface in joining W coating and metallic substrates such as copper alloys and steels, and the main issues related to coating surface erosion under steady-state and transient heat loads associated with advanced fusion reactor operation modes and off-normal events. Quantitative data available in the literature, such as porosity, oxygen content, thermal conductivity of the coatings, residual stresses accumulated in the coating–substrate interface, surface temperature, and material loss following heat load events, were summarized and compared to bulk W ones. The results demonstrate that, following optimization of the fabrication process, PS-W coatings exhibit excellent performance. In addition, previously mentioned advantages of PS technology make PS-W coatings an attractive alternative for PFM fabrication. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Surface Engineering Materials: Characterization and Properties (2nd Edition))
►▼ Show Figures

Figure 1

Show export options expand_more Show export options expand_less
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:
 
Displaying articles 1-2
Back to TopTop