International Journal of Molecular Sciences

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Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanocomposites have received tremendous interest in the last thirty years from scientific and industrial communities. Even though numerous studies have been published, research on nanocomposites' preparation, properties, and applications has not yet been exhausted. There is still an enormous need for new, high-performance materials matching specific demands from different fields. Furthermore, it is also imperative to understand the complex phenomena occurring between the constituent phases during the synthesis of these heterogeneous materials and how they affect the final properties.

Therefore, we are pleased to invite you to contribute to our Special Issue, “Nanocomposites: Preparation, Properties and Applications".

This Special Issue aims to showcase some of the latest research trends and advances in polymer nanocomposites.

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

Polymer–carbon nanocomposites;
Polymer–clay nanocomposites;
Polymer–silica nanocomposites;
Celullose fiber nanocomposites.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Raluca Ianchis
Dr. Cristina Nistor
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. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. 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

polymer
nanoparticles
nanotubes
nanofibers
carbon nanotubes
silica
clay
metallic nanoparticles

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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16 pages, 22383 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Injection-Molded Isotactic Polypropylene Colored with Green Transparent and Opaque Pigments

by Vaclav Janostik, Vojtech Senkerik, Lukas Manas, Michal Stanek and Martin Cvek

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(12), 9924; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24129924 - 8 Jun 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1365

Abstract

Polypropylene (PP) belongs among the most important commodity plastics due to its widespread application. The color of the PP products can be achieved by the addition of pigments, which can dramatically affect its material characteristics. To maintain product consistency (dimensional, mechanical, and optical), knowledge of these implications is of great importance. This study investigates the effect of transparent/opaque green masterbatches (MBs) and their concentration on the physico-mechanical and optical properties of PP produced by injection molding. The results showed that selected pigments had different nucleating abilities, affecting the dimensional stability and crystallinity of the product. The rheological properties of pigmented PP melts were affected as well. Mechanical testing showed that the presence of both pigments increased the tensile strength and Young’s modulus, while the elongation at break was significantly increased only for the opaque MB. The impact toughness of colored PP with both MBs remained similar to that of neat PP. The optical properties were well controlled by the dosing of MBs, and were further related to the RAL color standards, as demonstrated by CIE color space analysis. Finally, the selection of appropriate pigments for PP should be considered, especially in areas where dimensional and color stability, as well as product safety, are highly important. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposites: Preparation, Properties and Applications)

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Review

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18 pages, 2626 KiB

Open AccessReview

Antimicrobial Clothing Based on Electrospun Fibers with ZnO Nanoparticles

by Manuela Daniela Preda, Maria Leila Popa, Ionela Andreea Neacșu, Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu and Octav Ginghină

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2023, 24(2), 1629; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24021629 - 13 Jan 2023

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2119

Abstract

There has been a surge in interest in developing protective textiles and clothes to protect wearers from risks such as chemical, biological, heat, UV, pollution, and other environmental factors. Traditional protective textiles have strong water resistance but lack breathability and have a limited capacity to remove water vapor and moisture. Electrospun fibers and membranes have shown enormous promise in developing protective materials and garments. Textiles made up of electrospun fibers and membranes can provide thermal comfort and protection against a wide range of environmental threats. Because of their multifunctional properties, such as semi-conductivity, ultraviolet absorption, optical transparency, and photoluminescence, their low toxicity, biodegradability, low cost, and versatility in achieving diverse shapes, ZnO-based nanomaterials are a subject of increasing interest in the current review. The growing uses of electrospinning in the development of breathable and protective textiles are highlighted in this review. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanocomposites: Preparation, Properties and Applications)

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