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New Optical, Electrical, and Thermal Materials: Recent Advances and Challenges

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Science".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 August 2026 | Viewed by 906

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Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, China
Interests: photoelectric material; theoretical simulation; structural performance
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue delves deeply into the innovative forces that are pushing the boundaries of materials science from the molecular level. It focuses on novel materials that exhibit exceptional photoelectric conversion efficiency and high thermal conductivity characteristics through precise modulation of their molecular structures and properties. Thanks to the ingenious design at the molecular level, these materials not only achieve high-efficiency conversion of light energy into electrical energy—such as by significantly enhancing the photoelectric conversion efficiency of solar cells through precise modulation of the molecular composition of organic–inorganic hybrid perovskite materials—but they also demonstrate remarkable capabilities in thermal energy capture and conversion. For instance, new polymer materials with superior thermal conductivity and excellent thermoelectric effects have been developed through the ordered arrangement of molecular chains and the introduction of special functional groups.

Furthermore, this Special Issue reveals how innovations at the molecular level overcome the limitations of traditional materials. For example, by utilizing molecular self-assembly techniques to construct nanostructures with specific light absorption characteristics, revolutionary changes have been brought to fields such as photocatalysis and photodetection. Additionally, by finely tuning intermolecular interaction forces, responsive and highly sensitive opto- and thermo-sensitive smart materials have been developed, opening up new avenues for applications such as sensors and intelligent control systems.

By providing an in-depth analysis of the design principles, synthesis strategies, and structure-performance mechanisms of these novel optoelectronic, electronic, and thermoelectric materials at the molecular level, this Special Issue not only showcases the exploration achievements of materials science in the microscopic world but also offers researchers a novel perspective to understand and design high-performance materials from the molecular level.

Dr. Luyi Zou
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • optical materials
  • electrical materials
  • thermal materials
  • molecular structure
  • molecular composition
  • structural performance

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

16 pages, 2121 KB  
Review
Photoelectrochemical Production of Peroxydisulfate (PDS), a Clean Oxidant: Recent Development and Challenges
by Zeeshan Haider, Muhammad Imran and Tahir Muhmood
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(7), 3066; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27073066 - 27 Mar 2026
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 433
Abstract
Peroxydisulfate (PDS, S2O82−) is an important oxidant for a wide range of industrial applications, including organic synthesis, polymer preparation, wastewater treatment and environmental remediation. Currently, PDS is commercially produced by electrolysis of sulfate solution. Photoelectrochemistry (PEC) provides an [...] Read more.
Peroxydisulfate (PDS, S2O82−) is an important oxidant for a wide range of industrial applications, including organic synthesis, polymer preparation, wastewater treatment and environmental remediation. Currently, PDS is commercially produced by electrolysis of sulfate solution. Photoelectrochemistry (PEC) provides an alternative approach to PDS generation by reducing the energy required to drive this process. Because PEC uses solar light as an abundant, free resource, it is an attractive technique for PDS generation compared to electrolysis. WO3, owing to its excellent stability in acidic environments, is an excellent metal oxide candidate for producing PDS. Withstanding stronger acidic pH as well as absorption of visible light as a major fraction of solar light renders WO3 a promising material for PEC-based PDS production when compared with other semiconductors. This mini review examines light-assisted, sustainable production of PDS on WO3 photoanodes. It mainly involves the oxidation of the anion bisulfate, HSO4−, in a highly acidic pH. The efficiency of photoelectrochemical generation of PDS is greatly influenced by important factors, including suppressing recombination of photoinduced charge carriers, cocatalyst loading, minimizing competing side reactions, and establishing coupled reactions. In this review, we briefly discussed the key highlights to date in the application of WO3 as a stable photoanode material for producing PDS. It provides insight into the potential of photocatalysis as an emerging route for the sustainable synthesis of PDS as a valuable chemical oxidant. Besides the significant progress made so far, the PDS production rate remains low, and minimizing the recombination tendency to achieve a higher photocurrent density could further boost PEC-based PDS production. Full article
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