Announcements

The 2023 Asia-Pacific International Symposium on Aerospace Technology (APISAT2023) will be held from 16 to 18 October 2023, in Lingshui, Hainan, China. The conference is co-hosted by the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Tsinghua University, AVIC Aerodynamics Research Institute, Beihang University and Civil Aviation University of China. It is co-organized by the Chinese Society of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Royal Aeronautical Society, The Japan Society for Aeronautical and Space Sciences and KSAS.

Topics include the following:

• Aerodynamics and design;
• Structures and materials;
• Dynamics/control/avionics;
• Combustion and propulsion.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Aerospace;
• Invention;
• Drones;
• Materials;
• Energies;
• Machines;
• Micromachines;
• Automation.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at booth #1 and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://www.apisat2023.com/.

The "Materials Physics" Section provides a forum for the rapid publication of original works that will significantly advance our current understanding of materials or unveil novel aspects of material physical properties with respect to target applications.

The Section will comprise, but will be not limited to, contributions on materials growth and processing techniques, microstructural and mechanical engineering, advanced characterization methods, surface and interface engineering of nanostructured and functional materials including metals and alloys, ceramics and coatings, optical and photonic materials, low-dimensional materials, metal oxides and semiconductors for energy and environmental applications, plasmonics and metamaterials, magnetic materials, superconducting and quantum materials, ferroelectrics, multiferroics and magnetoelectrics, thermoelectric materials, polymers, metal-organic materials, and amorphous solids.

We are pleased to present the 2023 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the “Materials Physics” Section listed below:

“Characterization of Filigree Additively Manufactured NiTi Structures Using Micro Tomography and Micromechanical Testing for Metamaterial Material Models”
by Thomas Straub, Jonas Fell, Simon Zabler, Tobias Gustmann, Hannes Korn and Sarah C. L. Fischer
Materials 2023, 16(2), 676; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020676
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/2/676

“Prediction of Novel Ultrahard Phases in the B–C–N System from First Principles: Progress and Problems”
by Vladimir L. Solozhenko and Samir F. Matar
Materials 2023, 16(2), 886; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020886
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/2/886

“Effect of Ni Substitution on Thermoelectric Properties of Bulk β-Fe_1−xNi_xSi₂ (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.03)”
by Sopheap Sam, Soma Odagawa, Hiroshi Nakatsugawa and Yoichi Okamoto
Materials 2023, 16(3), 927; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16030927
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/927

“Correlation-Driven Topological Transition in Janus Two-Dimensional Vanadates”
by Ghulam Hussain, Amar Fakhredine, Rajibul Islam, Raghottam M. Sattigeri, Carmine Autieri and Giuseppe Cuono
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1649; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041649
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1649

“Epitaxial CdSe/PbSe Heterojunction Growth and MWIR Photovoltaic Detector”
by Lance L. McDowell, Milad Rastkar Mirzaei and Zhisheng Shi
Materials 2023, 16(5), 1866; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16051866
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/5/1866

“Hexagonal Boron Nitride for Photonic Device Applications: A Review”
by Shinpei Ogawa, Shoichiro Fukushima and Masaaki Shimatani
Materials 2023, 16(5), 2005; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16052005
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/5/2005

“Ferroelectricity and Oxide Reliability of Stacked Hafnium–Zirconium Oxide Devices”
by Ruo-Yin Liao, Hsuan-Han Chen, Ping-Yu Lin, Ting-An Liang, Kuan-Hung Su, I-Cheng Lin, Chen-Hao Wen, Wu-Ching Chou, Hsiao-Hsuan Hsu and Chun-Hu Cheng
Materials 2023, 16(9), 3306; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16093306
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/9/3306

“Recent Advances in Magnetic Polymer Composites for BioMEMS: A Review”
by Zhengwei Liao, Oualid Zoumhani and Clementine M. Boutry
Materials 2023, 16(10), 3802; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16103802
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/10/3802

“Cleaning Strategies of Synthesized Bioactive Coatings by PEO on Ti-6Al-4V Alloys of Organic Contaminations”
by Avital Schwartz, Alexey Kossenko, Michael Zinigrad, Viktor Danchuk and Alexander Sobolev
Materials 2023, 16(13), 4624; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16134624
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/13/4624

“High-Pressure Synthesis and the Enhancement of the Superconducting Properties of FeSe_0.5Te_0.5”
by Mohammad Azam, Manasa Manasa, Tatiana Zajarniuk, Ryszard Diduszko, Tomasz Cetner, Andrzej Morawski, Jarosław Więckowski, Andrzej Wiśniewski and Shiv J. Singh
Materials 2023, 16(15), 5358; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16155358
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/15/5358

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the research groups that submitted to Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944). We would appreciate it if you could circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=materials.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose new topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/materials.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of materials physics and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]).

Materials Editorial Office

We are pleased to announce that Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) will be granting the Travel Award to two junior scientists. The applications will be assessed by an Evaluation Committee consisting of senior scholars from the Materials Editorial Board.

This award provides financial support for the winners to attend an international conference in the field of materials science and engineering to be held in 2024, in order to hold a presentation, present a poster, or both.

Candidate Requirements:

• Postdoctoral fellow or Ph.D. student.
• Plans to attend an international conference in 2024 (oral presentation or poster).

Required Application Documents:

• Information of the conference the applicant is planning to attend and the abstract that will be submitted.
• Curriculum vitae and list of publications.
• Justification letter describing the focus of the research (max. 800 words).
• Letter of recommendation from the supervisor, research director, or department head, which also confirms the applicant’s status as a postdoctoral fellow/PhD student.

The winners (two awardees) will each be awarded CHF 800 and a certificate.

Please submit your applications (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/materials/awards/submit/2418) for the Materials 2024 Travel Award online by 30 November 2023. Prizes will be awarded at the end of January 2024 and announced on the Materials website.

Materials Editorial Office

Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) is currently accepting applications for the 2023 Best Ph.D. Thesis Award. This award is held to reward the academic community, especially young researchers, and enhance communication among scientists. This prize will be awarded to a Ph.D. student or doctor who has produced a highly anticipated academic thesis.

The prize includes:

• CHF 800;
• A certificate;
• An offer to publish one paper free of charge in Materials after peer review before the end of 2024.

To find out more information about the award and how to apply for candidates, please click here: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/materials/awards/2482. To request further information, please contact the Materials Editorial Office ([email protected]).

Materials Editorial Office

MDPI is committed to supporting the academic community, nurturing talent and advancing science. Awards are an important part of the research landscape and play a vital role in helping academics gain recognition, especially young researchers as they embark on new research avenues.

In 2022, our journals presented a total number of 394 Awards, including Travel Awards, Young Investigator Awards, Best PhD Thesis Awards, Best Paper Awards, and Outstanding Reviewer Awards, with several winners announced for some of the awards. The total prize sum amounted to just under 580,000 Swiss francs (CHF), or approximately 650,000 US dollars. Overall, more than 720 scholars were awarded.

The majority of the awards were dedicated to young researchers in relatively early stages of their careers. This encompassed 66 of the afore-mentioned Travel Awards, 60 Young Investigator Awards, supporting research projects and conference attendance, as well as 51 Best PhD Thesis Awards. Additionally, 113 Best Paper Awards were given by our journals. The selection committees were entrusted with identifying the most impactful and novel research and review articles published in their journal within a given year.

MDPI will continue its support and recognition for the academic community moving forward, sponsoring new awards across disciplines. To learn more about all the awardees and their research projects in your field of study, please visit the following pages:

Biology and Life Sciences;

Chemistry and Materials Sciences;

Computer Sciences and Mathematics;

Engineering;

Environmental and Earth Sciences;

Medicine and Pharmacology;

Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities;

Physical Sciences.

To explore more MDPI awards, please click here.

The 2023 Fall Meeting of the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS) will take place from 18 to 21 September 2023, at the main campus of the University of Technology in Warsaw, Poland, and will consist of parallel symposia with invited speakers and oral and poster presentations assorted by one plenary session to provide an international forum for discussing recent advances in the field of materials science. The conference will be augmented by an exhibition of products and services of interest to the conference participants.

The high-quality scientific program will address different topics organized into 24 symposia arranged in 5 clusters covering the fields of information and communication technologies; energy and environment; manufacturing; health; and fundamentals. The latest scientific results will be presented, and authors are invited to submit papers in the selected journals that fit the scope of each symposium.

The focus of the scientific program will be both on fundamental investigations and technological applications, providing an international forum for discussing recent advances related to the different aspects to be considered to promote innovation.

MDPI will be attending the event as an exhibitor, and we welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

We are looking forward to meeting you at our booth, where you can find out more information about the journals attending the conference:

• Materials;
• Nanomaterials;
• C;
• Crystals;
• Molecules.

Our representatives, Ms. Anna Krakowka and Ms. Paulina Maziarz, are eager to answer your questions and address any inquiries you may have.

We look forward to welcoming you to Warsaw.

MDPI will be attending the XXXV Eurosensors conference, which will be held from 10 to 13 September 2023 in Lecce, Italy. The conference will provide an opportunity for the presentation of updated results related to both theoretical and applied research in the fields of sensors, micro-nanosystems, etc., bringing together scientists from academic institutions and industry and promoting professional interactions between them. Furthermore, the conference also includes a one-day Tutorial Course on emerging and key arguments on the correlation between environment and health and the role of sensor technologies.

Eurosensors is an annual conference in the field of sensors that started in 1987. The Eurosensors 2020 and 2021 editions were eventually combined with the 2022 edition and held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Eurosensors 2023 will be chaired by Pietro Siciliano (University of Bari, Italy). The Organizing Committee would like to express their appreciation for the scientific response to the conference, which demonstrates the level of interest in the field of sensors and related technologies. It is hoped that the conference will allow for fruitful interactions among participants and new cultural proposals for the positive development of the conference and for the intellectual growth of all the participants.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Sensors;
• Biosensors;
• Chemosensors;
• Materials;
• JSAN;
• Micromachines;
• Instruments;
• Technologies;
• Chips;
• Robotics;
• Machines.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference and our booth, please visit the following link: https://www.eurosensors2023.eu/.

MDPI will be attending the 74th Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry, hosted by the International Society of Electrochemistry (ISE), which will be held by the International Society of Electrochemistry from 3 to 8 September 2023, in Lyon, France. France has a strong history of electrochemistry research and has a large number of ISE members in the country, and the ISE has hosted this congress on several previous occasions: Lyon in 1982; Paris in 1997, which was the occasion of a joint meeting with the ECS; and, more recently, in Nice in 2010. Thus, after more than 40 years, the congress returns to Lyon. About 1,800 participants have registered from all regions of the world. Thus, this congress will provide an opportunity for electrochemists in Lyon to participate in fruitful discussions in an atmosphere of friendly exchange.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Coatings;
• Molecules;
• Energies;
• Materials;
• Biosensors;
• Batteries;
• Liquids;
• Crystals;
• Solids;
• Electrochem;
• Sensors;
• Metals.

If you plan on attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth (#09) and start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://annual74.ise-online.org/index.php.

MDPI’s Young Investigator Awards recognize promising junior researchers, acknowledge their contributions, and enhance communication among scientists. We are proud to present the winners for the year 2022 in chemistry and materials science. The winners were selected by the journals’ Award Evaluation Committee.

We warmly congratulate the awarded young investigators for their outstanding contributions. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition for the academic community.

Crystals:

• Mattia Biesuz, University of Trento, Italy

Metals:

• Yonggang Yao, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China

Molecules:          

• Cesar de la Fuente-Nunez, University of Pennsylvania, USA

Nanomaterials:

• Liang Huang, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China
• Aiping Chen, Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT), USA
• Leonardo Ricotti, BioRobotics Institute of Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna (SSSA), Italy

About MDPI Awards:

In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers, and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To see more MDPI awards, click here.

We are proud to recognize the winners of MDPI’s 2022 Travel Awards in chemistry and materials science for their outstanding presentations and present them with the prize.

MDPI journals regularly offer travel awards to encourage junior scientists to present their latest research at academic conferences in specific fields, which helps increase their influence.

The winners mentioned below were carefully selected by the journal editors based on an outline of their research and the work to be presented at an academic conference.

We would like to warmly congratulate the winners of the 2022 Travel Awards and wish them the greatest success with their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.

Catalysts:           

• Shiva Mohajernia, University of Siegen, Germany

Chemistry:          

• Maria Antonietta Casulli, Sophia University Yotsuya Campus, Japan            

Gels:     

• Lan Xiao, Queensland University of Technology, Australia

Materials:           

• Danila Merino, Smart Materials Group of the Italian Institute of Technology, Italy
• Elena Blundo, University of Rome, Italy

Nanomaterials:   

• Arun Kumar, Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems, Italy
• Elena Blundo, Sapienza University of Rome, Italy            

Separations:        

• Tonni Agustiono Kurniawan, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Malaysia

About MDPI Awards:

In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers, and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To see more MDPI awards, click here.

In order to acknowledge our reviewers, who so generously dedicate their time to reviewing papers and demonstrate diligence, professionalism, and timeliness when reviewing manuscripts, MDPI journals regularly offer outstanding reviewer awards to scholars who participate in the peer-review process.

We are proud to recognize the winners for the 2022 Outstanding Reviewer Awards in chemistry and materials science for their outstanding contributions among the extensive competition.

We would like to take this opportunity to congratulate all the winners on their achievements. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition for the academic community.

Catalysts:

• Aleksandr S. Kazachenko, Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technology Siberian Branch of Russian Academy of Science, Russia
• Ionut Banu, University Politehnica of Bucharest, Romania
• Shahid Zaman, Southern University of Science and Technology, China
• Rahat Javaid, Fukushima Renewable Energy Institute, Japan

Coatings:

• Anca Mazare, Friedrich-Alexander University, Germany
• Costica Bejinariu, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi, Romania

Fibers:

• Aref Abbasi Moud, University of British Columbia, Canada
• Amit Kenny, Shamoon College of Engineering, Ashdod, Israel

Gels:

• Bapan Pramanik, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel
• Mutian Hua, University of California, USA            

JFB:

• Elisa Boanini, University of Bologna, Italy

Materials:

• Alexander Sobolev, Ariel University, Israel
• Anca Mazare, Friedrich Alexander University of Erlangen Nurnberg, Germany
• László Almásy, Centre for Energy Research, Hungary
• Valerio Belardi, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Italy
• Wenbin Zhou, Imperial College London, UK
• Piotr A. Gauden, Nicholas Copernicus University, Poland

Magnetochemistry:

• Moustafa Darwish, Tanta University, Egypt

Metals: 

• Wolfgang Löser, Leibniz Institute for Solid State and Materials Research (IFW), Germany
• Weimin Wang, Shandong University, China

Nanomaterials:

• Gueorgui Gueorguiev, Linköping University, Sweden
• Tsung-Rong Kuo, Taipei Medical University, China
• Kisan Chhetri, Jeonbuk National University, Republic of Korea

Polymers:

• Yiwen Li, Sichuan University, China
• Saulius Grigalevicius, Kaunas University of Technology, Lithuania
• Mirela-Fernanda Zaltariov, “Petru Poni” Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry, Romania
• Narsimha Mamidi, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
• Nikolaos Politakos, University of the Basque Country, Spain

Separations:

• Balawanthrao Jadhav, South Dakota State University, USA
• Łukasz Dąbrowski, Bydgoszcz University of Science and Technology, Poland
• Sidi Zhu, Nanjing University of Science and Technology, China

About MDPI Awards:

In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers, and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

For more MDPI awards, click here.

MDPI’s Best PhD Thesis Awards are presented to recognize the young scholars who are judged to have completed the most outstanding PhD thesis in their field of research, and to encourage them to continue their outstanding work and further contribution to their field.

We would like to warmly congratulate the winners of the 2022 Best PhD Thesis Awards and wish them success with their future research endeavors. MDPI will continue to enhance communication among scientists.

Ceramics:

• “Metal Nanoparticle Carbon Nanocomposites to Produce Electrochemical Devices for Environmental Water Monitoring”
  by Wenchao Duan, Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) and Instituto de Microelectrónica de Barcelona (IMB-CNM-CSIC), Spain

Crystals:

• “Modeling and Design of a Phononic Crystal with Piezoelectric Defects for Broadband Energy Localization and Harvesting”
  by Soo-Ho Jo, Department of Mechanical Engineering at Seoul National University, South Korea

Logistics:

• “A Decision-Support Framework for Smart and Sustainable Reverse Logistics Network Design”
  by Xu Sun, The Arctic University of Norway, Norway

Macromol:

• “Polymer Drug Carriers for Immuno-Oncotherapy”
  by Marina Rodrigues Tavares, Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic

• “Design and Fabrication of Advanced Materials Obtained from Hemp Fibers and Sustainable Polymers”
  by Gianluca Viscusi, Department of Industrial Engineering-University of Salerno, Italy

Materials:

• “Ultrafast Processes in Perylene and Rubrene Systems: Singlet Fission, Excimer Formation and Charge Transfer”
  by Wenjun Ni, Dalian University of Technology, China

Metals:

• “Computational and Experimental Thermo-Mechanics of Metal Additive Manufacturing: Stress, Warpage, Cracks and Properties”
  by Xufei Lu, Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Spain

Molecules:

• “Development of Modern Sample Preparation Techniques Utilizing Novel Materials Combined with Chromatographic and Spectrometric Methods for the Determination of Environmental Pollutants in Food and Environmental Samples”
  by Natalia Manousi, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

• “Studying Protein Function with Fluorescent Nanoantennas”
  by Scott G. Harroun, University of Montreal, Canada

Nanomaterials:

• “Predictive Modelling of Ultrafast Hot Carrier Dynamics and Nonlinear Photothermal Phenomena in Designer Nanophotonic Structures”
  by Andrea Schirato, Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Physchem:

• “Studying Protein Function with Fluorescent Nanoantennas”
  by Scott G. Harroun, Université de Montréal / Polytechnique Montréal, Canada

Polymers:

• “Formation, Modification and New Applications of Orderly Structured Titanium Oxide Nanostructures”
  by Simonas Ramanavicius, State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Lithuania 

Sustainable Chemistry:

• “Electrochemical Routes for Upgrading Carbon-based Greenhouse Gases”
  by Aditya Prajapati, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, USA

About MDPI Awards:

In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers, and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To see more MDPI awards, click here.

The purpose of our best paper awards is to promote and recognize the most impactful contributions published within MDPI journals.

The editors of each journal have carefully selected reviews and research papers through a rigorous judging process based on criteria such as the scientific merit, overall impact and the quality of presentation of the papers published in the journal.

We are honored to present the winners announced in 2022 in chemistry and materials science, who were selected among an extensive competition, and congratulate the authors for their outstanding scientific publications. MDPI will continue to provide support and recognition for the academic community.

C:

• “Biochar and Energy Production: Valorizing Swine Manure through Coupling Co-Digestion and Pyrolysis”
  by Rubén González, Judith González, José G. Rosas, Richard Smith and Xiomar Gómez
  C 2020, 6(2), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/c6020043

Coatings:

• “Introduction to Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation—An Overview of the Process and Applications”
  by Frank Simchen, Maximilian Sieber, Alexander Kopp and Thomas Lampke
  Coatings 2020, 10(7), 628; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10070628

• “First Insights into Photocatalytic Degradation of HDPE and LDPE Microplastics by a Mesoporous N–TiO2 Coating: Effect of Size and Shape of Microplastics”
  by Brenda Estefanía Llorente-García, Juan Manuel Hernández-López, Antonio Alberto Zaldívar-Cadena, Cristina Siligardi and Erika Iveth Cedillo-González
  Coatings 2020, 10(7), 658; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings10070658

Fibers:

• “U-Jacketing Applications of Fiber-Reinforced Polymers in Reinforced Concrete T-Beams against Shear—Tests and Design”
  by Constantin E. Chalioris, Adamantis G. Zapris and Chris G. Karayannis
  Fibers 2020, 8(2), 13; https://doi.org/10.3390/fib8020013

• “Laser Sources Based on Rare-Earth Ion Doped Tellurite Glass Fibers and Microspheres”
  by Elena A. Anashkina
  Fibers 2020, 8(5), 30; https://doi.org/10.3390/fib8050030

Inorganics:

• “Magnetic Materials and Systems: Domain Structure Visualization and Other Characterization Techniques for Application in Materials Science and Biomedicine”
  by Roberto Nisticò, Federico Cesano and Francesca Garello
  Inorganics 2020, 8(1), 6; https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics8010006

• “Magnetic Composite Submicron Carriers with Structure-Dependent MRI Contrast”
  by Anastasiia A. Kozlova, Sergey V. German, Vsevolod S. Atkin, Victor V. Zyev, Maxwell A. Astle, Daniil N. Bratashov, Yulia I. Svenskaya and Dmitry A. Gorin
  Inorganics 2020, 8(2), 11; https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics8020011

• “A Partial Anion Disorder in SrVO₂H Induced by Biaxial Tensile Strain”
  by Morito Namba, Hiroshi Takatsu, Wataru Yoshimune, Aurélien Daniel, Shoichi Itoh, Takahito Terashima and Hiroshi Kageyama
  Inorganics 2020, 8(4), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/inorganics8040026

Magnetochemistry:

• “Magnetic Nanoparticle Systems for Nanomedicine—A Materials Science Perspective”
  by Vlad Socoliuc, Davide Peddis, Viktor I. Petrenko, Mikhail V. Avdeev, Daniela Susan-Resiga, Tamas Szabó, Rodica Turcu, Etelka Tombácz and Ladislau Vékás
  Magnetochemistry 2020, 6(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/magnetochemistry6010002

• “Magnetite (Fe₃O₄) Nanoparticles in Biomedical Application: From Synthesis to Surface Functionalisation”
  by Lokesh Srinath Ganapathe, Mohd Ambri Mohamed, Rozan Mohamad Yunus and Dilla Duryha Berhanuddin
  Magnetochemistry 2020, 6(4), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/magnetochemistry6040068

• “Saturation of Specific Absorption Rate for Soft and Hard Spinel Ferrite Nanoparticles Synthesized by Polyol Process”
  by Cristian Iacovita, Gabriela Fabiola Stiufiuc, Roxana Dudric, Nicoleta Vedeanu, Romulus Tetean, Rares Ionut Stiufiuc and Constantin Mihai Lucaciu
  Magnetochemistry 2020, 6(2), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/magnetochemistry6020023

• “False Chirality, Absolute Enantioselection and CP Violation: Pierre Curie’s Legacy”
  by Laurence D. Barron
  Magnetochemistry 2020, 6(1), 5; https://doi.org/10.3390/magnetochemistry6010005         

Materials:

• “A Broadband Tunable Terahertz Metamaterial Absorber Based on Single-Layer Complementary Gammadion-Shaped Graphene”
  by Fu Chen, Yongzhi Cheng and Hui Luo
  Materials 2020, 13(4), 860; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13040860

• “3-D Printed Protective Equipment during COVID-19 Pandemic”
  by Christian Wesemann, Stefano Pieralli, Tobias Fretwurs, Julian Nold, Katja Nelson, Rainer Schmelzeisen, Elmar Hellwig and Benedikt Christopher Spies
  Materials 2020, 13(8), 1997; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13081997

• “On the Vibrations and Stability of Moving Viscoelastic Axially Functionally Graded Nanobeams”
  by Ali Shariati, Dong won Jun, Hamid Mohammad-Sedighi, Krzysztof Kamil Żur, Mostafa Habibi and Maryam Safa
  Materials 2020, 13(7), 1707; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13071707

• “Brief History of Early Lithium Battery Development”
  by Mogalahalli V. Reddy, Alain Mauger, Christian M. Julien, Andrea Paolella and Karim Zaghib
  Materials, 2020, 13(8), 1884; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13081884

• “Face Masks and Respirators in the Fight Against the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review of Current Materials, Advances and Future Perspectives”
  by Kris O’Dowd, Keerthi M. Nair, Parnia Forouzandeh, Snehamol Mathew, Jamie Gran, Ruth Moran, John Bartlet, Jerry Bird and Suresh C. Pillai
  Materials 2020, 13(15), 3363; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13153363

• “Recent Trends in the Use of Pectin from Agro-Waste Residues as a Natural-Based Biopolymer for Food Packaging Applications”
  by Cristina Mellinas, Marina Ramos, Alfonso Jiménez and María Carmen Garrigós
  Materials 2020, 13(3), 673; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13030673

Membranes:

• “Membrane Technologies in Wastewater Treatment: A Review”
  by Elorm Obotey Ezugbe and Sudesh Rathilal
  Membranes 2020, 10(5), 89; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10050089

• “Development of Hydrophilic PVDF Membrane Using Vapour Induced Phase Separation Method for Produced Water Treatment”
  by Muhammad Roil Bilad, Normi Izati Mat Nawi, Min Chean Ho, Norazanita Shamsuddin, Thanitporn Narkkun, Kajornsak Faungnawakij and Asim Laeeq Khan
  Membranes 2020, 10(6), 121; https://doi.org/10.3390/membranes10060121

Molecules:

• “Polymeric Nanoparticles: Production, Characterization, Toxicology and Ecotoxicology”
  by Aleksandra Zielińska, Filipa Carreiró, Ana M. Oliveira, Andreia Neves, Bárbara Pires, D. Nagasamy Venkatesh, Alessandra Durazzo, Massimo Lucarini, Piotr Eder, Amélia M. Silva et al.
  Molecules 2020, 25(16), 3731; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25163731

• “Nanomaterials for Wound Dressings: An Up-to-Date Overview”
  by Alexandra Elena Stoica, Cristina Chircov and Alexandru Mihai Grumezescu
  Molecules 2020, 25(11), 2699; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25112699

• “PROTACs and Building Blocks: The 2D Chemical Space in Very Early Drug Discovery”
  by Giuseppe Ermondi, Diego Garcia-Jimenez and Giulia Caron
  Molecules 2021, 26(3), 672; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26030672

• “LncMirNet: Predicting LncRNA–miRNA Interaction Based on Deep Learning of Ribonucleic Acid Sequences”
  by Sen Yang, Yan Wang, Yu Lin, Dan Shao, Kai He and Lan Huang
  Molecules 2020, 25(19), 4372; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25194372

• “Merging Ligand-Based and Structure-Based Methods in Drug Discovery: An Overview of Combined Virtual Screening Approaches”
  by Javier Vázquez, Manel López, Enric Gibert, Enric Herrero and F. Javier Luque
  Molecules 2020, 25(20), 4723; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25204723

• “The Protective Role of Butyrate against Obesity and Obesity-Related Diseases”
  by Serena Coppola, Carmen Avagliano, Antonio Calignano and Roberto Berni Canani
  Molecules 2021, 26(3), 682; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26030682

• “Cyanogenic Glycoside Analysis in American Elderberry”
  by Michael K. Appenteng, Ritter Krueger, Mitch C. Johnson, Harrison Ingold, Richard Bell, Andrew L. Thomas and C. Michael Greenlief
  Molecules 2021, 26(5), 1384; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26051384

• “Amygdalin: Toxicity, Anticancer Activity and Analytical Procedures for Its Determination in Plant Seeds”
  by Ewa Jaszczak-Wilke, Żaneta Polkowska, Marek Koprowski, Krzysztof Owsianik, Alyson E. Mitchell and Piotr Bałczewski
  Molecules 2021, 26(8), 2253; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26082253

Nanomaterials:

• “Perfect Dual-Band Absorber Based on Plasmonic Effect with the Cross-Hair/Nanorod Combination”
  by Yuan-Fong Chou Chau, Chung-Ting Chou Chao, Hung Ji Huang, Muhammad Raziq Rahimi Kooh, N. T. R. N. Kumara, Chee Ming Lim and Hai-Pang Chiang
  Nanomaterials 2020, 10(3), 493; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10030493

• “Titanium Dioxide Nanoparticles: Prospects and Applications in Medicine”
  by Daniel Ziental, Beata Czarczynska-Goslinska, Dariusz T. Mlynarczyk, Arleta Glowacka-Sobotta, Beata Stanisz, Tomasz Goslinski and Lukasz Sobotta
  Nanomaterials 2020, 10(2), 387; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10020387

• “High Quality Factor, High Sensitivity Metamaterial Graphene—Perfect Absorber Based on Critical Coupling Theory and Impedance Matching”
  by Chunlian Cen, Zeqiang Chen, Danyang Xu, Liying Jiang, Xifang Chen, Zao Yi, Pinghui Wu, Gongfa Li and Yougen Yi
  Nanomaterials 2020, 10(1), 95; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10010095

• “An Overview of Micro- and Nanoemulsions as Vehicles for Essential Oils: Formulation, Preparation and Stability”
  by Lucia Pavoni, Diego Romano Perinelli, Giulia Bonacucina, Marco Cespi and Giovanni Filippo Palmieri
  Nanomaterials 2020, 10(1), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10010135

• “Making Nd³⁺ a Sensitive Luminescent Thermometer for Physiological Temperatures—An Account of Pitfalls in Boltzmann Thermometry”
  by Markus Suta, Željka Antić, Vesna Ðorđević, Sanja Kuzman, Miroslav D. Dramićanin  and Andries Meijerink
  Nanomaterials 2020, 10(3), 543; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10030543

• “Metal-Based Nanoparticles as Antimicrobial Agents: An Overview”
  by Elena Sánchez-López, Daniela Gomes, Gerard Esteruelas, Lorena Bonilla, Ana Laura Lopez-Machado, Ruth Galindo, Amanda Cano, Marta Espina, Miren Ettcheto, Antoni Camins et al.
  Nanomaterials 2020, 10(2), 292; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano10020292

Polymers:

• “Core–Shell Eudragit S100 Nanofibers Prepared via Triaxial Electrospinning to Provide a Colon-Targeted Extended Drug Release”
  by Yanfei Ding, Cheng Dou, Shuyue Chang, Zhengming Xie, Deng-Guang Yu, Yanan Liu and Jun Shao
  Polymers 2020, 12(9), 2034; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12092034

• “The Inhibition Property and Mechanism of a Novel Low Molecular Weight Zwitterionic Copolymer for Improving Wellbore Stability”
  by Weichao Du, Michal Slaný, Xiangyun Wang, Gang Chen and Jie Zhang
  Polymers 2020, 12(3), 708; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12030708

• “Solid Polymer Electrolytes with Flexible Framework of SiO₂ Nanofibers for Highly Safe Solid Lithium Batteries”
  by Jin Cui, Zehao Zhou, Mengyang Jia, Xin Chen, Chuan Shi, Ning Zhao and Xiangxin Guo
  Polymers 2020, 12(6), 1324; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym12061324

• “Conducting Polymers in the Design of Biosensors and Biofuel Cells”
  by Simonas Ramanavicius and Arunas Ramanavicius
  Polymers 2021, 13(1), 49; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13010049

About MDPI Awards:

In order to reward the academic community, especially young researchers, and enhance communication among scientists, MDPI journals regularly offer various awards to researchers in specific fields. These awards, serving as a source of inspiration and recognition, help raise the influence of talented individuals who have been credited with outstanding achievements and are making a significant contribution to the advancement of their fields.

To see more MDPI awards, click here.

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Xinyu Liu has been appointed Editor-in-Chief of the Section "Quantum Materials" in Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944).

Prof. Dr. Xinyu Liu received his Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame, USA, in 2003. In 2013, he began his current position as a Research Associate Professor at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the same institution. With a deep interest in spin-related phenomena in quantum materials and devices, Prof. Dr. Liu's research focuses on molecular beam epitaxy techniques and the development of integrated nanomaterials and devices based on traditional and magnetic semiconductors, superconductors, quantum and topological materials, and ferromagnetic materials. His groundbreaking contributions have significantly impacted areas such as ferromagnetic semiconductors, Majorana fermions, topological insulators, semiconductor/superconductor heterojunctions, and more. Throughout his career, Prof. Dr. Liu has been actively involved in numerous NSF and DOE-funded projects in condensed matter physics. He has authored over 400 research publications indexed in the Web of Science with an impressive h-index of 46 and has gathered more than 10,000 citations, according to Google Scholar.

The following is a Q&A with Prof. Dr. Xinyu Liu, who shared his vision for the Section, in addition to his views on the research area and open access publishing:

1. What appealed to you about the journal that made you want to become its Section Editor-in-Chief?

I have always admired the journal for its breadth in covering diverse topics, showcasing the dynamic landscape of materials science. Its commitment to publishing cutting-edge research and maintaining a rigorous yet swift peer-review process has always stood out. As Section Editor-in-Chief, I see an opportunity to influence the direction of discussions within the materials community. Given the journal's global reach and significant impact, it presents the ideal platform for such a role.

2. What is your vision for the Section “Quantum Materials”?

My vision for “Quantum Materials” is to stand at the forefront of innovation and exploration in the following fields. First and foremost, the Section aims to dive deeper into the realm of quantum simulation. By closely emulating complex quantum systems, we can pave the way for insights that traditional computational methods might overlook, pushing the boundaries of what is scientifically possible. In the field of microelectronics, as devices become progressively smaller and more efficient, quantum materials promise to revolutionize the way we store and process data, not just the miniaturization of components, but a paradigm shift in how they function. In this regard, the Section aims to explore and develop materials that can act as qubits, process quantum information, and maintain quantum coherence, all while reducing the vulnerability to external perturbations. Thus, machine learning and AI are essential to my vision. I believe these tools can significantly expedite the discovery of new quantum materials and optimize their properties. One of the groundbreaking areas I am interested in is the development of room-temperature superconductors. The discovery of such materials can revolutionize power transmission, transportation, and countless technological applications, making them more efficient and sustainable. In essence, “Quantum Materials” seeks to be a beacon of cutting-edge research, interdisciplinary collaboration, and innovative thinking, all directed towards harnessing the quantum realm for a better tomorrow.

3. As an expert in the field of quantum materials, which research topics do you think are popular at present, and what does the future of this field of research look like?

I would like to discuss this with my specific perspective and expertise on spintronics and topological materials.

The current research in spintronics focuses on magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) devices, which are becoming increasingly important for memory storage and magnetic random-access memories (MRAM). In these devices, spin-orbit torques (SOTs) that can harness spin–orbit coupling to manipulate magnetic states offer the potential for faster and more energy-efficient data storage solutions. Furthermore, exploring utilizing spin waves (and their quanta, magnons) for data transfer and processing is gaining attraction.

In the field of topological materials, observing the quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) at higher temperatures in thin films of magnetic topological materials has become a thrilling motivation in the field. There is much interest in hunting for Majorana fermions in topological superconductors, which could be game-changers for fault-tolerant quantum computing. Exploring other 2D topological materials exhibiting exotic topological states are aspect of the future. The confluence of materials science, condensed matter physics, electrical engineering, and even AI for material discovery will shape the evolution of quantum materials research.

4. You have reviewed many articles as a reviewer. What do you think are the most important points of an article?

The article should offer a fresh perspective, novel findings, or innovative methodologies. It should fill a knowledge gap or provide a unique viewpoint that can stimulate further research or discussion. The article should contribute clearly to its field by introducing a new concept and insight, validating or refuting an existing theory, or providing new empirical evidence that advances understanding.

The methods used should be relevant to the research questions and the most suitable ones. The choice of methodologies can greatly influence the outcomes, so their justification and appropriateness are vital. An article must demonstrate a thorough and meticulous approach to the research. Central to the credibility of any research is the ability of other researchers to reproduce the experiments and obtain similar results. Clear, detailed experimental procedures, including any controls, must be provided to ensure the reliability of the findings.

An article should be well-organized, with a logical flow of ideas, making it easy for readers to follow and understand the research narrative.

5. What do you think of the development of open access in the publishing field?

Open access (OA) has transformed scientific publishing, making research, especially publicly funded studies, accessible worldwide. At its core, science is about the pursuit and distribution of knowledge. Open access embodies this philosophy by ensuring that knowledge is freely accessible to anyone, anywhere in the world. This can significantly accelerate advancements, foster collaborations, and ensure that discoveries are built upon previous findings without impediments. However, OA's rise has led to predatory journals that compromise quality for profit. Despite challenges like the 'author-pays' model, OA's future is promising with growing support and mandates. Ensuring rigorous peer review is essential for the success of OA. Open access should not mean a compromise on quality. While some publishers might prioritize profits, the focus should always be on the integrity and quality of research. Overall, when executed with integrity, OA's benefits surpass its challenges.

We warmly welcome Prof. Dr. Xinyu Liu as the new Section Editor-in-Chief, and we look forward to him leading Materials to many more milestones.

The ChinaNANO conferences have been held biennially since 2005 and have garnered great success in the field of nanoscience. The 2021 conference was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After a four-year hiatus, the conference is returning. ChinaNANO 2023 is a highly anticipated international nanotechnology conference that will provide an unparalleled opportunity for global colleagues to reconnect and engage in discussions on the latest scientific breakthroughs, technological advancements, and emerging trends in the field. As the largest and most prestigious conference on nanotechnology in Asia and beyond, ChinaNANO 2023 is expected to draw more than 2500 participants.

MDPI will be attending the event as an exhibitor, and we welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

We are looking forward to meeting you at our booth, where you can find more information about the journals attending the conference:

• Nanomaterials;
• Nanomanufacturing;
• Symmetry;
• Crystals;
• Micromachines;
• Materials;
• Inorganics;
• Batteries;
• Applied Nano;
• Molecules;
• Nanoenergy Advances;
• Electronics.

Our representatives Ms. Sally Tsui and Ms. Cassie Zhang are eager to answer your questions and address any inquiries you may have.

We welcome you to Beijing in August 2023!

You can find out more about the conference at the following link: http://www.chinanano.org.cn/en/.

We are pleased to announce that Prof. Dr. Yanlin Song has been appointed Associate Editor of Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944). We wish Prof. Dr. Yanlin Song every success in his new position, and we look forward to his contributions to the journal.

Name: Prof. Dr. Yanlin Song
Affiliation: Key Laboratory of Green Printing, Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China
Homepage: http://ylsong.iccas.ac.cn/
Interests: nanomaterials and green printing technology; printed electrics and photonics; fabrication and applications of photonic crystals

Prof. Dr. Yanlin Song has been a Full Professor at the Institute of Chemistry Chinese Academy of Sciences (ICCAS) since 2001. His research interests include green printing materials and technology, polymer photonic crystals, and optic/electric device fabrication. He has published more than 600 academic papers in peer-reviewed journals, has an h-index of 100, and has been granted more than 140 patents. He has proposed and developed nano-green printing as well as micro/nanomanufacturing technology, breaking through fundamental challenges, such as the coffee ring effect, Rayleigh instability, and the Marangoni effect, that affect printing accuracy. He has printed wearable electronics, solar cells, ultrasensitive biosensing chips, and other functional devices. He has won numerous academic awards, including the Second Prize of National Natural Science Award in 2005 and 2008, the National Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars in 2006, the First Prize of Beijing Science and Technology Award in 2016, the IEC 1906 Award in 2019, and National Innovation Competition Award in 2023.

We are honored that we have the opportunity to introduce Prof. Dr. Yanlin Song to our editorial team, and we are confident that, with the guidance of our new Associate Editor, we will continue to improve the reputation and quality of Materials (https://www.mdpi.com/journal/materials).

The 17th European Congress and Exhibition on Advanced Materials and Processes (FEMS EUROMAT 2023) will be held from 3 to 7 September 2023, in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. The conference is organized by the German Materials Society.

Areas include the following:

• Functional materials;
• Structural materials;
• Processing;
• Characterization and modeling;
• Energy and transportation;
• Materials for healthcare;
• Education, strategy, and technology transfer;
• Materials for circularity and sustainability.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Materials;
• Energies;
• Nanomaterials;
• C;
• Crystals;
• Solids;
• Batteries;
• Polymers;
• JFB.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at booth #B-20 and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://euromat2023.com/congress/welcome-address.

MDPI will be attending the 6th International Conference on Perovskite Solar Cell and Optoelectronics (PSCO 2023) in Oxford, UK, which will take place from 18 to 20 September 2023. The program will include a combination of invited talks, contributing talks and poster presentations in a meeting that will bring a broad spectrum of the community together to discuss and share knowledge on the latest advances in perovskite materials, devices and photophysical and optoelectronic properties and phenomena.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Electronics;
• Photonics;
• Energies;
• Materials;
• Nanoenergy Advances.

If you are attending the conference, please visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://www.psco-conference.org/.

Conference: 18th International Conference on Molecule-Based Magnets (ICMM2023)
Date: 10–14 September 2023
Location: Nanjing, China

MDPI will be attending ICMM 2023 as an exhibitor. We welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

ICMM is a grand ceremony for all researchers working in related areas all over the world, and is the largest conference covering all topics in molecule-based magnets. The topics that will be covered at the conference will include molecular nanomagnets, spin-crossover materials, long-range ordering magnets, multifunctional and/or switchable materials, nanostructured magnetic materials, molecular spintronics, and devices, as well as other hot topics related to molecule-based magnetism. The conference is organized by the State Key Laboratory of Coordination Chemistry and the School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Magnetochemistry;
• Chemistry;
• Crystals;
• Inorganics;
• Magnetism;
• Materials;
• Metals;
• Molecules;
• Physics;
• Quantum Reports;
• Symmetry.

If you are planning to attend this conference, please do not hesitate to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://icmm2023.nju.edu.cn/.

The following paper was published in Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944), providing possible breakthroughs regarding T_c calculations for 11-type and 111-type iron-based superconductors:

“Preliminary T_c Calculations for Iron-Based Superconductivity in NaFeAs, LiFeAs, FeSe and Nanostructured FeSe/SrTiO₃ Superconductors”
by Chi Ho Wong and Rolf Lortz
Materials 2023, 16(13), 4674; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16134674
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/13/4674

Our model has successfully shown that when all relevant conduction electrons interact with local Fe moments in iron-based superconductors, the coexistence of superconductivity with local fluctuating antiferromagnetism together with the induced xy potential can lead to an enormous increase in the electron–phonon coupling, which is sufficient to predict the high T_c values in the studied iron-based superconductors. By applying the model to monolayered FeSe on a SrTiO₃ substrate, we have concluded that the interfacial phonons are of major importance to explain the high-temperature superconductivity.

Figure 1. The theoretical and experimental T_c values of (a) NaFeAs, (b) LiFeAs and (c) FeSe are consistent. (d) A FeSe monolayered film is deposited on a SrTiO₃ monolayer to form a composite. The offset in theoretical and experimental T_c is 100-91=9K only.

High-temperature superconductors are important because they allow for the development of more efficient and powerful technologies. They can be used to create devices with zero electrical resistance, enabling them to conduct electricity without any loss of energy. This makes them ideal for applications such as power transmission lines, magnetic levitation trains, and high-speed computing systems. High-temperature superconductors also have potential applications in medical imaging and quantum computing. One of the families of high-temperature superconductors, iron-based superconductors, has been an area of intense research since its discovery in 2008. The superconducting transition temperature observed in FeSe/SrTiO₃ films has been found to be up to 100K. Despite significant advances in understanding the physical properties of these materials, no theoretical calculation of the superconducting transition temperature (T_c) of iron-based superconductors has been successful so far. This is mainly due to the complexity of the electronic structure and strong electron–electron correlations that are present in these materials. Nevertheless, a team of researchers (Prof. Chi Ho Wong^1,2 and Prof. Rolf Lortz¹) from the ¹Department of Physics at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology and the ²Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University have developed a new model that can calculate the T_c of several iron-based superconductors (bulk FeSe, LiFeAs, NaFeAs and FeSe/SrTiO₃ film) with good accuracy; the model was published in Materials. The model may make a significant contribution to the comprehension of superconductivity in iron-based materials.

Prof. Wong and Prof. Lortz have recently announced a major breakthrough in the T_c calculation of iron-based superconductors (IBSC) for bulk LiFeAs, NaFeAs, FeSe and FeSe/SrTiO₃ film. Although antiferromagnetic-enhanced electron–phonon coupling on the Fermi surface cannot produce such high T_c values, they have created the two-channel model to call out the hidden induced xy potential originating from the out-of-plane phonon under antiferromagnetic fluctuations (abbreviated as the Coh factor), in order to refine the calculation of electron–phonon coupling. Furthermore, they have based their model on ARPES data to consider all relevant electrons participating in iron-based superconductivity (abbreviated as the ARPES factor) instead of solely focusing on the interactions at the Fermi level. In the experimental proof of ARPES, all the relevant electrons in the studied superconductors located in the energy range between E_F-E_Debye and E_F are taken into consideration, with E_F being the Fermi energy and E_Debye being the Debye Energy. The ARPES factor and Coh factor have made a big step to reduce the discrepancy between theoretical and experimental T_c values of the aforementioned materials. This approach allows their model to reasonably predict the superconducting transition temperatures of bulk LiFeAs, NaFeAs, FeSe as a function of pressure in Figure 1a–c. However, the team was able to calculate the highest-T_c IBSC material, FeSe/SrTiO₃ (~100K), only if the effect of interfacial phonon between FeSe and SrTiO₃ is considered in Figure 1d, which connects phonons to iron-based superconductivity indirectly. The team is now upgrading the model by considering momentum dependence on the superconducting gap and spin-orbital coupling, etc., and checking whether the model is one of the missing puzzles in a unified theory of iron-based superconductors or not.

Conference: 15th European Congress on Catalysis (EuropaCat 2023)
Date: 27 August–1 September 2023
Location: Prague, Czech Republic

MDPI will be attending EuropaCat 2023 as an exhibitor. We welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

EuropaCat has become a traditional meeting place for scientists and researchers from academia and industry who are based all over Europe. Consequently, it has developed into a forum to discuss important challenges in the field of catalysis and the related industrial areas and beyond. The conference is jointly organized by the catalysis societies of the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Molecules;
• Catalysts;
• Applied Sciences;
• Chemistry;
• Materials;
• Nanomaterials;
• Photochem;
• Separations;
• Symmetry.

If you are planning to attend this conference, please do not hesitate to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.europacat2023.cz/.

MDPI will attend the 4th National Conference on Inorganic Membranes. This conference hosted by the Catalysis Professional Committee of the Chinese Chemical Society and Nanjing University of Technology will be held in Nanjing from 11 to 14 August 2023.

The conference aims to fully display, exchange, and summarize the latest achievements in the field of academic research on inorganic membranes in China, and promote the development of the inorganic membranes industry and the improvement of academic levels. The theme of this conference is “Low-Carbon Process Reengineering with Membrane Technology as the Core”. The conference topics cover membrane material types, application fields and technical fields.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Membranes;
• Molecules;
• Materials.

If you plan on attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth (#8) and start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit https://ncim2023.scimeeting.cn/cn/web/index/19014.

 

MDPI will be attending the 9th International Discussion Meeting on Relaxations in Complex Systems, organized by the University of Tokyo, held from 12 to 18 August 2023, in Chiba, Japan.

The conference topics include the following:

• Polymer Nanocomposites and MOF;
• Photonic Disordered Materials;
• Network and Inorganic Glasses;
• Interrelation between T and V in Dynamics of Liquids and Polymers;
• Colloidal Systems and Dispersions;
• Information Science and Machine Learning;
• Linear and Nonlinear Dielectric Dynamics.

During this conference, MDPI (at booth #Ex-14) will welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest views and research with us.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Materials;
• Polymers;
• Coatings;
• Membranes;
• Computation.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at booth #Ex-14 and answering any questions that you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://9idmrcs.jp/index.html.

On 26 July 2023, MDPI and the journal Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) organized the webinar on materials titled “Nanoarchitectonics of Functional Materials”. The webinar focused on functional materials, discussing how to use nanostructure technology to achieve specific properties and functions of materials, and enabling a better understanding of the cutting-edge trends in material design through an in-depth understanding of the principles and applications of nanostructure technology.

Dr. Fabien Grasset first explained the latest progress in nano-architecture. Prof. Dr. David Leong made a report on nanomaterials-induced endothelial leakiness. Prof. Dr. Jung Ho Kim focused on nanoarchitectonics of lithium-ion pathways through pores in a carbon framework and proposed that the structure is helpful for improving the storage capability and reversibility of lithium metal anode. Finally, Prof. Dr. Katsuhiko Ariga made a summary statement of the meeting.

Please note that this webinar is associated with three Special Issues in the Materials journal:

• “Electrochemical Synthesis of Nanostructured Semiconductors”
  Submission deadline: 10 September 2023

• “Functional Nanomaterials for a Better Life (Volume II)”
  Submission deadline: 10 October 2023

• “Materials Nanoarchitectonics for Membranes, Surfaces, Self-Assembly, and Biomimetics”
  Submission deadline: 20 January 2024

You can watch the recorded webinar below:

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Dr. Fabien Grasset, ¹ Rennes Institute for Chemical Sciences, CNRS, France; ² LINK, NIMS-Saint-Gobain-CNRS, Japan;
• Prof. Dr. Katsuhiko Ariga, ¹ WPI Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics (MANA), National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS), Japan; ² Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Japan;
• Prof. Dr. David Leong, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore;
• Prof. Dr. Jung Ho Kim, Institute for Superconducting and Electronic Materials, Australian Institute for Innovative Materials (AIIM), University of Wollongong, Australia.

With the first issue released in June 2023, five new MDPI journals disseminating multi-disciplinary science are due to launch, which will cover the subjects of medicine & pharmacology, biology and physical sciences.

The newly launched journals will be overseen by professional Editorial Board Members and Editors to ensure an accurate and rapid publication, rigorous peer review and broad visibility.

Please feel free to browse and discover more about the new journals below.

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal topics (selected)
	Prof. Dr. Jun Ma, Peking University, China| Editorial | view inaugural issue	growth and development; diet and nutrients; school health promotion policies and practices; child health and care; adolescent health and wellbeing | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Bernd Rehm, Griffith University, Australia | Editorial | view inaugural issue	DNA and gene synthesis; synthetic transcription factors; protein engineering; viral engineering; metabolic engineering | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Varsha Gandhi, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue	lymphatics; cancers associated with lymphocytes and lymphoblasts; lymphatic tissues; lymphoma; lymphoid leukemia | view journal scope | submit an article
	Dr. Bradley Turner, University of Melbourne, Australia | Editorial | view inaugural issue	multiple sclerosis; amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; primary lateral sclerosis; atherosclerosis; systemic sclerosis | view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Clemens Burda, Case Western Reserve University, USA | Editorial | view inaugural issue	Gamma ray, X-ray, and UV–Vis spectroscopies; NIR/mid-infrared/Raman spectroscopy; microwave and THz spectroscopy; high-resolution gas-phase atomic, molecular, and cluster spectroscopy; MS, NMR, and EPR spectroscopy | view journal scope | submit an article

We wish to thank everyone who has supported the development of open access publishing. You are welcome to submit an application to the New Journal Committee ([email protected]) if you would like to create more new journals.

The 2022 citation metrics have been released in the Journal Citation Reports (JCR), and we’re pleased to announce the following results for MDPI journals:

We are thrilled to announce that 90% of our ranked MDPI journals, specifically 86 out of 96 (captured in the table below), are performing above average in Q1 or Q2. This year, Clarivate has expanded its Impact Factor (IF) awards to include journals in the Emerging Sources Citation Index (ESCI) and the Arts and Humanities Citation Index (AHCI), providing greater transparency for the full set of journals indexed in the Web of Science Core Collection. As a result, 111 of MDPI journals have received their first IF in 2023, with 37 journals surpassing an IF of 3.0. In total, 208 MDPI journals have been honored with an IF.

Clarivate explains that by "expanding the coverage but holding to highly selective standards, the [Impact Factor] is now a reliable indicator of trustworthiness, as well as a measure of scholarly impact, at the journal level."

Please visit our blog post where we discuss the release of the latest citation metrics with our Indexing Manager, Dr. Constanze Schelhorn, to find out what's different this time around and how to make use of different metrics available.

Journal	Impact Factor	Rank Quartile	Category
Vaccines	7.8	Q1	Immunology
			Medicine, Research & Experimental
Antioxidants	7.0	Q1	Food Science & Technology
			Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
			Chemistry, Medicinal
Cells	6.0	Q2	Cell Biology
Nutrients	5.9	Q1	Nutrition & Dietetics
International Journal of Molecular Sciences	5.6	Q1	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
		Q2	Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Journal of Theoretical and Applied Electronic Commerce Research	5.6	Q2	Business
Biomolecules	5.5	Q1	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Biosensors	5.4	Q1	Chemistry, Analytical
			Instruments & Instrumentation
		Q2	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Fractal and Fractional	5.4	Q1	Mathematics, Interdisciplinary Applications
Marine Drugs	5.4	Q1	Chemistry, Medicinal
			Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Pharmaceutics	5.4	Q1	Pharmacology & Pharmacy
Nanomaterials	5.3	Q1	Physics, Applied
		Q2	Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
			Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
			Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Cancers	5.2	Q2	Oncology
Foods	5.2	Q1	Food Science & Technology
Polymers	5.0	Q1	Polymer Science
Remote Sensing	5.0	Q1	Geosciences, Multidisciplinary
		Q2	Remote Sensing
			Imaging Science & Photographic Technology
			Environmental Sciences
Antibiotics	4.8	Q1	Pharmacology & Pharmacy
		Q2	Infectious Diseases
Drones	4.8	Q2	Remote Sensing
Journal of Functional Biomaterials	4.8	Q2	Engineering, Biomedical
			Materials Science, Biomaterials
Biomedicines	4.7	Q1	Pharmacology & Pharmacy
		Q2	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
			Medicine, Research & Experimental
Journal of Fungi	4.7	Q2	Mycology
			Microbiology
Viruses	4.7	Q2	Virology
Bioengineering	4.6	Q2	Engineering, Biomedical
Gels	4.6	Q1	Polymer Science
Molecules	4.6	Q2	Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
			Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Pharmaceuticals	4.6	Q2	Pharmacology & Pharmacy
			Chemistry, Medicinal
Toxics	4.6	Q1	Toxicology
		Q2	Environmental Sciences
Biomimetics	4.5	Q1	Engineering, Multidisciplinary
		Q2	Materials Science, Biomaterials
Microorganisms	4.5	Q2	Microbiology
Plants	4.5	Q1	Plant Sciences
Biology	4.2	Q2	Biology
Chemosensors	4.2	Q2	Instruments & Instrumentation
			Chemistry, Analytical
			Electrochemistry
Membranes	4.2	Q2	Engineering, Chemical
			Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
			Chemistry, Physical
			Polymer Science
Toxins	4.2	Q1	Toxicology
		Q2	Food Science & Technology
Metabolites	4.2	Q2	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Batteries	4.0	Q2	Electrochemistry
			Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
		Q3	Energy & Fuels
Catalysts	3.9	Q2	Chemistry, Physical
Journal of Clinical Medicine	3.9	Q2	Medicine, General & Internal
Land	3.9	Q2	Environmental Studies
Sensors	3.9	Q2	Instruments & Instrumentation
			Chemistry, Analytical
			Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Sustainability	3.9	Q2	Environmental Sciences (SCIE)
			Environmental Studies (SSCI)
		Q3	Green & Sustainable Science & Technology (SCIE)
			Green & Sustainable Science & Technology (SSCI)
Buildings	3.8	Q2	Construction & Building Technology
			Engineering, Civil
Agronomy	3.7	Q1	Agronomy
		Q2	Plant Sciences
Fermentation	3.7	Q2	Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
Pathogens	3.7	Q2	Microbiology
Agriculture	3.6	Q1	Agronomy
Diagnostics	3.6	Q2	Medicine, General & Internal
Genes	3.5	Q2	Genetics & Heredity
Journal of Intelligence	3.5	Q2	Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Lubricants	3.5	Q2	Engineering, Mechanical
Processes	3.5	Q2	Engineering, Chemical
Coatings	3.4	Q2	Materials Science, Coatings & Films
			Physics, Applied
		Q3	Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
ISPRS International Journal of Geo-Information	3.4	Q2	Geography, Physical
		Q3	Computer Science, Information Systems
			Remote Sensing
Materials	3.4	Q2	Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering
			Physics, Applied
			Physics, Condensed Matter
		Q3	Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
			Chemistry, Physical
Micromachines	3.4	Q2	Instruments & Instrumentation
			Physics, Applied
			Chemistry, Analytical
		Q3	Nanoscience & Nanotechnology
Water	3.4	Q2	Water Resources
			Environmental Sciences
Brain Sciences	3.3	Q3	Neurosciences
Energies	3.2	Q3	Energy & Fuels
Fire	3.2	Q1	Forestry
		Q2	Ecology
Life	3.2	Q2	Biology
Current Issues in Molecular Biology	3.1	Q3	Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Horticulturae	3.1	Q1	Horticulture
Animals	3.0	Q1	Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
			Veterinary Sciences
Insects	3.0	Q1	Entomology
Atmosphere	2.9	Q3	Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
			Environmental Sciences
Electronics	2.9	Q2	Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
			Physics, Applied
		Q3	Computer Science, Information Systems
Forests	2.9	Q1	Forestry
Inorganics	2.9	Q2	Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
Journal of Marine Science and Engineering	2.9	Q1	Engineering, Marine
		Q2	Oceanography
			Engineering, Ocean
Metals	2.9	Q2	Metallurgy & Metallurgical Engineering
		Q3	Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Tropical Medicine and Infectious Disease	2.9	Q2	Tropical Medicine
			Parasitology
		Q3	Infectious Diseases
Universe	2.9	Q2	Astronomy & Astrophysics
			Physics, Particles & Fields
Healthcare	2.8	Q2	Health Policy & Services (SSCI)
		Q3	Health Care Sciences & Services (SCIE)
Applied Sciences	2.7	Q2	Engineering, Multidisciplinary
			Physics, Applied
		Q3	Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
			Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Crystals	2.7	Q2	Crystallography
		Q3	Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Entropy	2.7	Q2	Physics, Multidisciplinary
Magnetochemistry	2.7	Q2	Chemistry, Inorganic & Nuclear
		Q3	Chemistry, Physical
			Materials Science, Multidisciplinary
Symmetry	2.7	Q2	Multidisciplinary Sciences
Actuators	2.6	Q2	Instruments & Instrumentation
			Engineering, Mechanical
Aerospace	2.6	Q1	Engineering, Aerospace
Behavioral Sciences	2.6	Q2	Psychology, Multidisciplinary
Current Oncology	2.6	Q3	Oncology
Machines	2.6	Q2	Engineering, Mechanical
		Q3	Engineering, Electrical & Electronic
Medicina	2.6	Q3	Medicine, General & Internal
Separations	2.6	Q3	Chemistry, Analytical
Minerals	2.5	Q2	Mining & Mineral Processing
			Mineralogy
			Geochemistry & Geophysics
Children	2.4	Q2	Pediatrics
Diversity	2.4	Q2	Biodiversity Conservation
		Q3	Ecology
Journal of Cardiovascular Development and Disease	2.4	Q3	Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Mathematics	2.4	Q1	Mathematics
Photonics	2.4	Q3	Optics
Veterinary Sciences	2.4	Q1	Veterinary Sciences
Fishes	2.3	Q2	Marine & Freshwater Biology
			Fisheries
Axioms	2.0	Q2	Mathematics, Applied
Systems	1.9	Q2	Social Sciences, Interdisciplinary
Tomography	1.9	Q3	Radiology, Nuclear Medicine & Medical Imaging

Note: The Journal of Personalized Medicine's Impact Factor was omitted in the original release and will be assigned separately. Please find the data on the journal webpage in due course.

Source: 2022 Journal Impact Factors, Journal Citation Reports ^TM (Clarivate, 2023)

The 3^rd National Cellulose Symposium of the Chinese Chemical Society will be held from 8 to 11 August 2023, in Guiyang, Guizhou, China. The conference is hosted by the Chinese Chemical Society and is organized by the School of Materials and Metallurgy of Guizhou University. 

Topics include the following:

• Functional structure and application of cellulose-based materials;
• Basic theory and function of nanocellulose;
• Efficient green conversion of cellulose;
• Separation, structure, modification, and application of lignin;
• Development and utilization of other biomass resources;
• Natural polymer energy storage, smart materials, and devices;
• Cellulose chemicals and cellulose recycled materials industry forum. 

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Polymers;
• Gels;
• Fibers;
• Polysaccharides;
• Macromol;
• Materials;
• Membranes. 

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start an online conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person at booth #2 and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://www.chemsoc.org.cn/meeting/home/m484.

The International Conference on Processing & Manufacturing of Advanced Materials: Processing, Fabrication, Properties, Applications (THERMEC’2023) is the twelfth international conference on the advanced materials series built upon the proven concept and continues the tradition of its eleven predecessors: Japan (1988), Australia (1997), USA (2000), Spain (2003), Vancouver, Canada (2006), Berlin, Germany (2009), Quebec City, Canada (2011), Las Vegas, USA (2013), Graz, Austria (2016), Paris, France (2018) and Virtual Conference in June 2021.

MDPI will be attending the event as an exhibitor, and we welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

We are looking forward to meeting you at our booth #35, where you can find more information about the MDPI journals attending the conference:

• Metals;
• Materials;
• Coatings;
• Nanomaterials;
• Energies;
• Micromachines.

Our representatives Igor Matic and Teodora Stepanov are eager to answer your questions and address any inquiries you may have.

We are pleased to announce that Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) will be granting the Travel Award to two junior scientists. The applications will be assessed by an Evaluation Committee consisting of senior scholars from the Materials Editorial Board.

This award provides financial support for the winners to attend an international conference in the field of materials science and engineering, to be held in 2024, in order to hold a presentation, present a poster, or both.

Candidate requirements:

• Postdoctoral fellows or Ph.D. students;
• Plans to attend an international conference in 2024 (oral presentation or poster).

Required application documents:

• Information of the conference the applicant is planning to attend and the abstract that will be submitted;
• Curriculum vitae and list of publications;
• Justification letter describing the focus of the research (max. 800 words);
• Letter of recommendation from the supervisor, research director, or department head, which also confirms the applicant’s status as a postdoctoral fellow/Ph.D. student.

The winners (two awardees) will each be awarded CHF 800 and an electronic certificate.

Please submit your applications for the Materials 2024 Travel Award at https://www.mdpi.com/journal/materials/awards/submit/2418 by 30 November 2023. Prizes will be awarded at the end of January 2024 and announced on the Materials website.

Materials Editorial Office

Section “Energy Materials” is a platform for the publication of original articles and comprehensive reviews on the fundamental science and application of materials used for harvesting, conversion, storage, transmission, and the utilization of energy.

Both simulation/modeling and experimental contributions on the design, preparation, processing, characterization, and performance of materials for energy-related technologies and applications are welcome.

We are pleased to present the 2023 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the “Energy Materials” Section listed below:

“Modeling Analysis of a Polygeneration Plant Using a CeO₂/Ce₂O₃ Chemical Looping”
by Greta Magnolia, Massimo Santarelli, Domenico Ferrero and Davide Papurello
Materials 2023, 16(1), 315; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010315
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/1/315

“Nanocomposite Electrode of Titanium Dioxide Nanoribbons and Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes for Energy Storage”
by Mohammad BinSabt, Mohamed Shaban and Ahmed Gamal
Materials 2023, 16(2), 595; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020595
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/2/595

“Modeling and Characterization of Surface Discharges in Insulating Material for Spacers: Electrode Shape, Discharge Mode, and Revision of the Creepage Concept”
by Debasish Nath, Qichen Yang, Giancarlo Montanari, Weijun Yin, Han Xiong and Karim Younsi
Materials 2023, 16(3), 989; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16030989
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/989

“Physicochemical Modeling of Electrochemical Impedance in Solid-State Supercapacitors”
by Davood Peyrow Hedayati, Gita Singh, Michael Kucher, Tony D. Keene and Robert Böhm
Materials 2023, 16(3), 1232; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16031232
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/1232

“Bismuth−Antimony Alloy Embedded in Carbon Matrix for Ultra-Stable Sodium Storage”
by Wensheng Ma, Bin Yu, Fuquan Tan, Hui Gao and Zhonghua Zhang
Materials 2023, 16(6), 2189; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16062189
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/6/2189

“Black Liquor and Wood Char-Derived Nitrogen-Doped Carbon Materials for Supercapacitors”
by Loreta Tamasauskaite-Tamasiunaite, Jolita Jablonskienė, Dijana Šimkūnaitė, Aleksandrs Volperts, Ance Plavniece, Galina Dobele, Aivars Zhurinsh, Vitalija Jasulaitiene, Gediminas Niaura, Audrius Drabavicius et al.
Materials 2023, 16(7), 2551; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16072551
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/7/2551

“Mechanistic Study of Fast Performance Decay of PtCu Alloy-based Catalyst Layers for Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells through Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy”
by Maximilian Grandi, Matija Gatalo, Ana Rebeka Kamšek, Gregor Kapun, Kurt Mayer, Francisco Ruiz-Zepeda, Martin Šala, Bernhard Marius, Marjan Bele, Nejc Hodnik et al.
Materials 2023, 16(9), 3544; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16093544 
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/9/3544

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the research groups that submitted to Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944). We would appreciate it if you could circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:

This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=materials.

Launching a Special Issue:

You have the opportunity to propose new topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/materials.

Joining the Editorial Board:

If you are an active researcher in the field of energy materials and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]).

Materials Editorial Office

We are pleased to inform you that Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) has received an updated CiteScore of 5.2, an increase of 10.6% compared with the 2021 metric. The 2022 CiteScore™ was released recently, making an assessment of the scientific influence of journals in the 2019 to 2022 period.

Materials’ CiteScore ranks as follows:

• Q2 (125 out of 423) in the "Condensed Matter Physics" category;
• Q2 (163 out of 453) in the "General Materials Science" category.

For more journal statistics, please visit https://www.mdpi.com/journal/materials/stats.

Excellent performance is inseparable from the support and dedication of all journal editors, reviewers, authors, and readers. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you who have contributed to the journal.

MDPI will be attending the 33rd CCS Congress, held in Qingdao, China, from 17 to 20 June 2023. The Annual Academic Conference of the Chinese Chemical Society is held every two years. It is the highest level, largest scale and most influential comprehensive academic exchange platform in the field of chemistry in China. During this conference, MDPI will welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest views as well as research with us.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Molecules;
• Materials;
• IJMS;
• Inorganics;
• Polymers;
• Molbank;
• Symmetry;
• Nanomaterials;
• Separations;
• Biosensors;
• Electrochem;
• Analytica.

If you are attending this conference, please stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following link: https://www.chemsoc.org.cn/meeting/33rd/.

Conference: ACS Fall 2023
Organization: American Chemical Society
Date: 13–17 August 2023
Place: Moscone Center, 747 Howard St, San Francisco, CA, USA
Booth: #845

MDPI journals will be attending ACS Fall 2023 Harnessing the Power of Data as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in San Francisco, CA, USA, from 13 to 17 August 2023.

American Chemical Society (ACS) is one of the world’s largest scientific organizations with more than 151,000 members in 140 countries. ACS Meetings & Expos are held biannually. This expo is an opportunity for thousands of chemistry professionals to meet, share ideas, and advance scientific and technical knowledge. The topic in Fall 2023 is “Harnessing the Power of Data”.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Materials;
• Molecules;
• Batteries;
• Crystals;
• Molbank;
• Organics;
• Polymers;
• Separations;
• Analytica;
• Electrochem;
• Membranes;
• Nanomaterials;
• Solids;
• Sustainable Chemistry;
• Symmetry.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://www.acs.org/meetings/acs-meetings/fall-2023.html.

We are pleased to announce the winner of the Materials 2023 Young Investigator Award—Dr. Bharat Gwalani.

 

 

Name: Dr. Bharat Gwalani
Affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
Research Interests: alloy design; material processing; corrosion; high entropy alloy; solid phase processing

 

We would like to thank the award committee for selecting one winner from many exceptional candidates, Dr. Bharat Gwalani. We will continue to reward scholars with the Young Investigator Award to express our acknowledgment of their support for the Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944). We wish them every success in their careers.

The following is a short interview with Dr. Bharat Gwalani:

1. Could you briefly introduce yourself to our readers?
Since August 2022, I have served as an Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University, USA. Before that, I worked as a research scientist at the Pacific Northwest International Lab for approximately four years. My primary research revolves around applying solid-phase processing techniques to create innovative multifunctional materials suitable for challenging extreme environments. At present, my team and I are dedicated to advancing our understanding of deformation-based processing methods at the atomic level. We aim to utilize this knowledge for sustainable manufacturing practices, emphasizing energy conservation and using recycled materials, as opposed to traditional melting technologies.
Before joining the Pacific Northwest International Lab, I completed my Ph.D. in materials science and engineering at the University of North Texas, USA. During my doctoral studies, my focus was on developing high entropy alloys strengthened by precipitation. In 2010, I earned my bachelor's degree in materials science and engineering from India, my country of origin. Additionally, prior to commencing my Ph.D. program in the United States, I gained three years of experience in the steel manufacturing sector.

2. What is your current research, and why did you choose this research field?
The focus right now is trying to reduce energy input because natural resources are limited, and there is an energy crisis, so we need to recycle materials that have already been extracted from ore, so the solid phase processing route seems to be a very practical one. Developing new alloys for advanced processing techniques was very exciting to me, so that was my main motivation.

3. Have you encountered any difficulties in your research? How did you overcome them?
Working at a national laboratory, we are not involved with teaching, but we are involved with multiple projects simultaneously. Switching between each project can be a challenge, particularly in today's competitive environment. It is important to keep learning every day and develop beyond your Ph.D. to continue improving and publishing. The initial phase following a Ph.D. is more difficult, but the different problems inspired me to work hard, and it gave me good exposure and experience. In academia, much time is dedicated to teaching, creating course materials, and helping students while also needing to set up a lab and purchase equipment and pursue funding. Finding funding in areas you want to work in can be a challenge for all new researchers. However, teaching helps you go back to fundamentals which reaffirms your knowledge, so it is a good thing.

4. What qualities do young scholars need to possess?
I think it is very important not to give up easily. Things can be very challenging and can easily seem as if they will not work out, but persistence and drive to keep trying, and also to not feel embarrassed about failing, really helps. Just because it did not work today does not mean the approach you are taking is bad. It just was not your day. Keep going and take baby steps, and it will eventually happen. It is also important to manage your time effectively, to make the most of your time at work and still have a life outside of work. It is different from studying for a Ph.D. because, as a researcher, you work during your stipulated hours, so it is much more important to become efficient at an early stage of your research career.

5. Can you briefly describe the key to a happy laboratory life?
A lab is made up of different members, from the PI to the students, and they work as a cohesive unit. The ‘team’ feeling is very important, and if members are happy to do work rather than feel pushed, then that has long-term benefits. It is important to have fun when you work, so creating that environment in the lab is my focus. I used to enjoy my Ph.D. because I was doing research for myself rather than for somebody else, which helped me a lot.

6. As the winner of this award, is there something you want to express or someone to thank?
Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to encounter influential individuals who have played pivotal roles in shaping my professional journey. In my initial job at Jindal Stainless Ltd., Dr. L.K. Singhal, the Director of R&D, served as a catalyst, encouraging and inspiring me to explore my curiosity and think outside the box. This guidance ultimately motivated me to pursue a Ph.D., as I realized the significance of nurturing that inner drive. During my Ph.D., I was fortunate to have Dr. Raj Banerjee as my advisor, who struck a perfect balance between providing guidance and fostering independence. His mentorship empowered me to push boundaries and develop my own unique path of research. Similarly, in my previous position at PNNL, the support from leaders such as Dr. Cindy Powell, the Chief Science and Technology Officer, was exceptional. Their dedication to nurturing younger scientists and providing valuable guidance greatly influenced my professional development.
As a recent addition to the NC State community, I have already experienced tremendous support from Dr. Don Brenner, the department head. His unwavering support has been invaluable since joining the university. Personally, I have been fortunate to receive support from numerous individuals who have propelled me forward in life. This support is crucial for anyone striving to make progress, as the trust and belief others have in you serve as powerful motivators.

Conference: 7^th ECCOMAS Young Investigators Conference (YIC 2023)
Date: 19–21 June 2023
Location: Porto, Portugal 

MDPI will be attending YIC 2023 as an exhibitor; we welcome researchers from different backgrounds to visit and share their latest ideas with us.

YIC 2023 is the 7^th in the series of international conferences, organized since 2012, with the main purpose of bringing students and young researchers together within a relaxed environment, developing their work in all areas related to computational science and engineering.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Mathematics;
• AppliedMath;
• Algorithms;
• Fluids;
• Materials;
• Buildings;
• MCA;
• Computation;
• Symmetry.

If you are attending this conference, please visit our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: https://paginas.fe.up.pt/~yic2023/.

MDPI will be presenting at the 7th Scientific Meeting of Ph.D. Students at the UAB campus (JPhD2023). The event will be held at the Sala d'Actes Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona in Barcelona, Spain, from 7 to 9 June 2023.

JPhD2023 aims to facilitate the exchange of knowledge about scientific research from different fields, sharing of research works and communication among the Ph.D. students of the BNC-b in an academic and scientific environment.

MDPI Speaker

Dr. Gabriel Martínez Edo
Presentation theme: MDPI Open Access & Peer Review Process 

Dr. Gabriel Martínez Edo holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry (2013) and a master’s degree in pharmaceutical chemistry (2015) from the IQS school of Engineering, Universitat Ramon Llull (Barcelona, Spain). He completed his Ph.D. (2020) in chemistry and chemical engineering at the same institution focusing on the use of nanomaterials as drug delivery systems.

He joined MDPI in June 2020 as Assistant Editor and Section Managing Editor for the journal Nanomaterials. In 2021, he was appointed Managing Editor of the journal Nanomanufacturing, a position he held until his recent appointment as Journal Relations Specialist.  

If you are also attending this conference, please feel free to stop by our booth. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person to answer any questions you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: https://jphd.icmab.es/.

Relevant Journals:

The Section “Materials Simulation and Design” focuses on all aspects of inorganic and organic material properties, advances in the synthesis, processing, characterization, testing and design of materials and engineering systems, applications in technology, and the modeling and simulation of a broad range of materials, including ceramics, metals, glasses, semiconductors, polymers, biological materials, composites, etc. Papers on solid materials, interfaces, and material issues associated with surfaces, defects, and the microstructure are of particular interest.

We are pleased to present the 2023 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the Section “Materials Simulation and Design”:

“Modeling Cyclic Crack Propagation in Concrete Using the Scaled Boundary Finite Element Method Coupled with the Cumulative Damage-Plasticity Constitutive Law”
by Omar Alrayes, Carsten Könke, Ean Tat Ooi and Khader M. Hamdia
Materials 2023, 16(2), 863; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020863
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/2/863

“Assessment of Convolutional Neural Network Pre-Trained Models for Detection and Orientation of Cracks”
by Waqas Qayyum, Rana Ehtisham, Alireza Bahrami, Charles Camp, Junaid Mir and Afaq Ahmad
Materials 2023, 16(2), 826; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020826
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/2/826

“Electronic, Optical, Mechanical, and Electronic Transport Properties of SrCu₂O₂: A First-Principles Study”
by Sheng Jiang, Chaohao Hu, Dianhui Wang, Yan Zhong and Chengying Tang
Materials 2023, 16(5), 1829; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16051829
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/5/1829

“Application of the ps−Version of the Finite Element Method to the Analysis of Laminated Shells”
by Cheng Angelo Yan and Riccardo Vescovini
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1395; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041395
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1395

“The Characteristic Microstructures and Properties of Steel-Based Alloy via Additive Manufacturing”
by Chunlei Shang, Honghui Wu, Guangfei Pan, Jiaqi Zhu, Shuize Wang, Guilin Wu, Junheng Gao, Zhiyuan Liu, Ruidi Li and Xinping Mao
Materials 2023, 16(7), 2696; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16072696
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/7/2696

“Band Gaps and Optical Properties of RENiO₃ upon Strain: Combining First-Principles Calculations and Machine Learning”
by Xuchang Tang, Zhaokai Luo and Yuanyuan Cui
Materials 2023, 16(8), 3070; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16083070
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/8/3070

“Inductive Determination of Rate-Reaction Equation Parameters for Dislocation Structure Formation Using Artificial Neural Network”
by Yoshitaka Umeno, Emi Kawai, Atsushi Kubo, Hiroyuki Shima and Takashi Sumigawa
Materials 2023, 16(5), 2108; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16052108
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/5/2108

“On the Springback and Load in Three-Point Air Bending of the AW-2024 Aluminium Alloy Sheet with AW-1050A Aluminium Cladding”
by Stanisław Kut, Grzegorz Pasowicz and Feliks Stachowicz
Materials 2023, 16(8), 2945; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16082945
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/8/2945

“Heat Transfer Analysis of Warm Guss Asphalt Concrete for Mini-Trench Overlaying”
by Kyung-Nam Kim, Yeong-Min Kim, Sang-Yum Lee and Tri Ho Minh Le
Materials 2023, 16(7), 2808; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16072808
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/7/2808

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the research groups that submitted to Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944). We would appreciate it if you could circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=materials.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field. Proposals may be submitted via the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/materials.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of Materials Simulation and Design and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]).

Materials Editorial Office

Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) has launched the Section “Thin Films and Interfaces”. Thin film materials are widespread for technological applications, spanning from electronics through medicine. Thin film materials can exhibit a greater number of vastly different structural, chemical, electrical, optical, and mechanical properties compared to their corresponding bulk counterparts due to the choice of substrate or underlying material, the material deposition and fabrication process, and the resulting variations in the crystal phase, disorder and defects within poly-/nano-crystalline and amorphous materials, strain, and composition. The very nature of thin films involves the formation of interfaces, including that with the substrate, underlying or overlying layers, and/or the ambient. These interfaces and interfacial regions may exhibit additional variations due to confinement, bonding configurations, chemical composition, exposure to ambient, physical mixing, and the morphology present.

We are pleased to present the 2023 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the Section “Thin Films and Interfaces” listed below.

“Analyzing the Bolometric Performance of Vanadium Oxide Thin Films Modified by Carbon Nanotube Dispersions”
by Usha Philipose, Chris Littler, Yan Jiang, Alia Naciri, Michael Harcrow and A. J. Syllaios
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1534; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041534
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1534

“CALPHAD-Based Modelling of the Temperature–Composition–Structure Relationship during Physical Vapor Deposition of Mg-Ca Thin Films”
by Philipp Keuter, Moritz to Baben, Shamsa Aliramaji and Jochen M. Schneider
Materials 2023, 16(6), 2417; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16062417
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/6/2417

“Effect of a ZrO₂ Seed Layer on an Hf_0.5Zr_0.5O₂ Ferroelectric Device Fabricated via Plasma Enhanced Atomic Layer Deposition”
by Ji-Na Song, Min-Jung Oh and Chang-Bun Yoon
Materials 2023, 16(5), 1959; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16051959
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/5/1959

“Enhanced Surface Properties of the Al_0.65CoCrFeNi High-Entropy Alloy via Laser Remelting”
by Junwei Miao, Tianxin Li, Qiang Li, Xiaohu Chen, Zheng Ren and Yiping Lu
Materials 2023, 16(3), 1085; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16031085
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/1085

“Laser Emission Spectroscopy of Graphene Oxide Deposited on 316 Steel and Ti6Al4V Titanium Alloy Suitable for Orthopedics”
by Barbara Nasiłowska, Wojciech Skrzeczanowski, Aneta Bombalska and Zdzisław Bogdanowicz
Materials 2023, 16(7), 2574; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16072574
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/7/2574

“Silver Nanoparticles for Fluorescent Nanocomposites by High-Pressure Magnetron Sputtering”
by Tomáš Zikmund, Jiří Bulíř, Michal Novotný, Ladislav Fekete, Sergii Chertopalov, Stefan Andrei Irimiciuc, Mariana Klementová, Jarmila Balogová and Jan Lančok
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1591; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041591
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1591

“Surface Modification and Properties of Thin Ink Films with Added TiO₂ and ZnO Nanoparticles Applied on Paperboard Substrates”
by Sanja Mahović Poljaček, Tamara Tomašegović, Maja Strižić Jakovljević and Davor Donevski
Materials 2023, 16(2), 478; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020478
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/2/478

“The Effect of Fe/Al Ratio and Substrate Hardness on Microstructure and Deposition Behavior of Cold-Sprayed Fe/Al Coatings”
by You Wang, Nan Deng, Zhenfeng Tong and Zhangjian Zhou
Materials 2023, 16(2), 878; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020878
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/2/878

“Towards Room Temperature Phase Transition of W-Doped VO2 Thin Films Deposited by Pulsed Laser Deposition: Thermochromic, Surface, and Structural Analysis”
by Yannick Bleu, Florent Bourquard, Vincent Barnier, Anne-Sophie Loir, Florence Garrelie and Christophe Donnet
Materials 2023, 16(1), 461; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010461
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/1/461

“Ultrafiltration Membranes Modified with Reduced Graphene Oxide: Effect on Methyl Green Removal from Aqueous Solution”
by María Dolores Murcia, Asunción M. Hidalgo, María Gómez, Gerardo León, Elisa Gómez and Marta Martínez
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1369; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041369
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1369

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the research groups that submitted to Materials. We would appreciate it if you could circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: 
https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=materials.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of Thin Films and Interfaces and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]).

Materials Editorial Office

MDPI will attend the 31st European Biomass Conference & Exhibition (EUBCE 2023) as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held in Bologna, Italy, from 5 to 8 June 2023.

EUBCE is the largest biomass conference and exhibition in the world. Each year, EUBCE brings together the greatest minds and latest advancements in biomass, with the aim of accelerating research and market uptake across the globe. During the conference, over 2,000 experts from both academia and industry share and discuss groundbreaking ideas, technologies, applications, and solutions for the sourcing, production, and utility of biomass. The scientific program is coordinated by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission. Since its 30th edition, the event has been complemented by the Circular Bio-Based Europe Joint Undertaking, aiming at identifying innovation, stimulating investment, and mobilizing the bio-based industry sector. This is an excellent opportunity to address even more stakeholders globally through the conference.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Sustainability;
• Energies;
• Biomass;
• Environment;
• Materials;
• Minerals;
• Biology;
• Recycling;
• Atmosphere;
• Earth.

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us at our booth #36. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have.

For more information about the conference, please visit https://www.eubce.com/.

The Section “Soft Matter” of Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) was established to enhance our understanding of soft matter in the context of material science. In December 2022, Dr. Ingo Dierking from the University of Manchester, UK, was appointed the Section Editor-in-Chief.

On the initiative of Dr. Dierking, and in order to advance the development of this Section, the Editorial Office organized a voting, requesting the Editorial Board Members to choose the best Editor's Choice Article (ECA, a carefully curated selection of high-quality articles in Materials) of 2022 in this Section. We are pleased to announce the winning article.

Title: “Thioether-Linked Liquid Crystal Trimers: Odd–Even Effects of Spacers and the Influence of Thioether Bonds on Phase Behavior”
Authors: Yuki Arakawa, Kenta Komatsu, Yuko Ishida, Takuma Shiba and Hideto Tsuji
Affiliation: Department of Applied Chemistry and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Toyohashi University of Technology, 1-1 Hibarigaoka, Tempaku-cho, Toyohashi 441-8580, Japan

We would like to congratulate Prof. Yuki Arakawa, Mr. Kenta Komatsu, Ms. Yuko Ishida, Mr. Takuma Shiba and Prof. Hideto Tsuji again for their accomplishments.

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the research groups that submitted manuscripts to the Section “Soft Matter” of Materials. We would appreciate it if you could circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=materials.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field:
https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/materials

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of soft matter, and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]).

Materials Editorial Office

Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) is proud to sponsor the Best Student Paper Awards for the 46th Workshop on Compound Semiconductor Devices and Integrated Circuits held in Europe and 17th Expert Evaluation and Control of Compound Semiconductor Materials and Technologies conference, a major event for experts in scholarly communications.

The 46th Workshop on Compound Semiconductor Devices and Integrated Circuits held in Europe and 17th Expert Evaluation and Control of Compound Semiconductor Materials and Technologies connects librarians, publishers, content providers, consultants and intermediaries from around the world with high-quality plenary presentations, lightning talks and breakout sessions. The program of the conference can be accessed here.

Date: 21–25 May 2023
Place: Palermo, Italy

Check the latest conference news on LinkedIn.

For corporate conference sponsorship inquiries, please contact [email protected].

The Section “Metals and Alloys” of Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) aims to provide an international peer-reviewed medium for the dissemination and active discussion of the latest and most important advances in the field of metals and alloy science, as well as advances in engineering technology and innovative applications. Experimental and theoretical approaches to solve materials problems require novel scientific disciplines based on traditional disciplines. Those reports on the simulation of metals and alloys science can only be accepted if the results have already been validated by experiments or a dedicated application. All submitted contributions are subject to a strict peer-review process and the final decision on publication should be made based on the recommendations of independent experts.

The Section “Metals and Alloys” welcomes the submission of high-quality research on various aspects of the metals and alloys science field. Papers submitted for publication should contain new experimental or theoretical results and their interpretation. Design, modeling and simulation, processing, and characterization techniques of metals and alloys are welcome, in particular the relationship of advanced manufacturing processing and microstructure properties of metals and alloys.

We are pleased to present the 2023 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the Section “Metals and Alloys”, as listed below:

“A Review of Characterization and Modelling Approaches for Sheet Metal Forming of Lightweight Metallic Materials”
by Yong Hou, Dongjoon Myung, Jong Kyu Park, Junying Min, Hyung-Rim Lee, Ali Abd El-Aty and Myoung-Gyu Lee
Materials 2023, 16(2), 836; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020836
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/2/836

“Research Progress on Multi-Component Alloying and Heat Treatment of High Strength and Toughness Al–Si–Cu–Mg Cast Aluminum Alloys”
by Mingshan Zhang, Yaqiang Tian, Xiaoping Zheng, Yuan Zhang, Liansheng Chen and Junsheng Wang
Materials 2023, 16(3), 1065; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16031065
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/1065

“Ongoing Challenges of Laser-Based Powder Bed Fusion Processing of Al Alloys and Potential Solutions from the Literature—A Review”
by Alessandra Martucci, Alberta Aversa and Mariangela Lombardi
Materials 2023, 16(3), 1084; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16031084
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/1084

“Novel Ultrafine-Grain Mg-Gd/Nd-Y-Ca Alloys with an Increased Ignition Temperature”
by Stanislav Šašek, Peter Minárik, Jitka Stráská, Klára Hosová, Jozef Veselý, Jiří Kubásek, Robert Král, Tomáš Krajňák and Dalibor Vojtěch
Materials 2023, 16(3), 1299; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16031299
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/1299

“Mechanical Behavior of Austenitic Steel under Multi-Axial Cyclic Loading”
by Abhishek Biswas, Dzhem Kurtulan, Timothy Ngeru, Abril Azócar Guzmán, Stefanie Hanke and Alexander Hartmaier
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1367; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041367
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1367

“Changes in Abrasion Resistance of Cast Cr-Ni Steel as a Result of the Formation of Niobium Carbides in Alloy Matrix”
by Grzegorz Tęcza
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1726; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041726
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1726

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the research groups that have submitted their work to Materials. We would appreciate it if you could circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=materials.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of Metals and Alloys and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]).

Materials Editorial Office

The Section “Materials Chemistry” of Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) covers the areas of materials science, chemical engineering, and related crossing fields.

Some topics of interest are:

• Synthesis, chemical and physical characterization of materials;
• Fundamental, theoretical and experimental studies of materials;
• Optical, electrical, energy, environmental, biomedical, magnetic and catalytic applications of materials;
• Nanotechnology;
• Fabrication of materials using advanced methods and techniques;
• Hybrid materials;
• Organic/Inorganic chemistry;
• Electrochemistry;
• Colloid and surface/interface chemistry;
• Polymers and molecules.

We are pleased to present the 2023 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the Section “Materials Chemistry” listed below:

“Effect of Blend Composition on Barrier Properties of Insulating Mats Produced from Local Wool and Waste Bast Fibres”
by Anna Kicińska-Jakubowska, Jan Broda, Małgorzata Zimniewska, Marcin Bączek and Jerzy Mańkowski.
Materials 2023, 16(1), 459; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010459
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/1/459

“Photocatalytic Removal of Antibiotics from Wastewater Using the CeO₂/ZnO Heterojunction”
by Nicolae Apostolescu, Ramona Elena Tataru Farmus, Maria Harja, Mihaela Aurelia Vizitiu, Corina Cernatescu, Claudia Cobzaru and Gabriela Antoaneta Apostolescu
Materials 2023, 16(2), 850; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020850
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/2/850

“Raclopride-Molecularly Imprinted Polymers: A Promising Technology for Selective [¹¹C]Raclopride Purification”
by Roberta Del Sole, Giancarlo Pascali, Giuseppe Mele, Gary Perkins and Lucia Mergola
Materials 2023, 16(3), 1091; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16031091
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/1091

“Optical Properties Investigation of Upconverting K₂Gd(PO₄)(WO₄):20%Yb³⁺,Tm³⁺ Phosphors”
by Julija Grigorjevaite and Arturas Katelnikovas
Materials 2023, 16(3), 1305; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16031305
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/1305

“The Historical Development of Infrared Photodetection Based on Intraband Transitions”
by Qun Hao, Xue Zhao, Xin Tang and Menglu Chen
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1562; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041562
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1562

“Hydrothermal Synthesis of ZnO Superstructures with Controlled Morphology via Temperature and pH Optimization”
by Aleksander Ejsmont and Joanna Goscianska
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1641; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041641
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1641

“Characterization of Ruddlesden-Popper La_2−xBa_xNiO_4±δ Nickelates as Potential Electrocatalysts for Solid Oxide Cells”
by Kiryl Zakharchuk, Andrei Kovalevsky and Aleksey Yaremchenko
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1755; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041755
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1755

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the research groups that have submitted their work to Materials. We would appreciate it if you could circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=materials.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of Materials Chemistry and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]).

Materials Editorial Office

Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) has launched the “Optics and Photonics” Section. Optics and photonics are all methodologies and technologies that use photons over the entire spectrum from X-ray to ultraviolet, visible, and infrared, to the terahertz range, and their interaction with a variety of materials. This is an evolving interdisciplinary field of research covering all the optical technologies used in life sciences and medicine. Special, new, and biocompatible materials for implants, tissue phantoms, cell printing, cell labeling, light delivery, etc., require research from scientists from various professions, such as physicists, chemists, engineers, biologists, and doctors.

We are pleased to present the 2023 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the “Optics and Photonics” Section listed below:

“Manganese Luminescent Centers of Different Valence in Yttrium Aluminum Borate Crystals”
by Anastasiia Molchanova, Kirill Boldyrev, Nikolai Kuzmin, Alexey Veligzhanin, Kirill Khaydukov, Evgeniy Khaydukov, Oleg Kondratev, Irina Gudim, Elizaveta Mikliaeva and Marina Popova
Materials 2023, 16(2), 537; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020537
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/2/537

“Tet-Regulated Expression and Optical Clearing for In Vivo Visualization of Genetically Encoded Chimeric dCas9/Fluorescent Protein Probes”
by Liliya Maloshenok, Gerel Abushinova, Natalia Kazachkina, Alexei Bogdanov Jr. and Victoria Zherdeva
Materials 2023, 16(3), 940; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16030940
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/940

“Decay Kinetics of Gd₃Al₂Ga₃O₁₂:Ce³⁺ Luminescence under Dense Laser Irradiation”
by Paweł Karasiński, Magdalena Zięba, Ewa Gondek, Jacek Nizioł, Sandeep Gorantla, Krzysztof Rola, Alicja Bachmatiuk and Cuma Tyszkiewicz
Materials 2023, 16(3), 971; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16030971
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/971

“ZGSO Spinel Nanoparticles with Dual Emission of NIR Persistent Luminescence for Anti-Counterfeiting Applications”
by Guanyu Cai, Teresa Delgado, Cyrille Richard and Bruno Viana
Materials 2023, 16(3), 1132; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16031132
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/1132

“MoS₂/Au Heterojunction Catalyst for SERS Monitoring of a Fenton-like Reaction”
by Qian Wei, Beibei Lu, Qing Yang, Can Shi, Yulan Wei, Minmin Xu, Chenjie Zhang and Yaxian Yuan
Materials 2023, 16(3), 1169; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16031169
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/1169

“Polarization Doping in a GaN-InN System—Ab Initio Simulation”
by Ashfaq Ahmad, Pawel Strak, Pawel Kempisty, Konrad Sakowski, Jacek Piechota, Yoshihiro Kangawa, Izabella Grzegory, Michal Leszczynski, Zbigniew R. Zytkiewicz, Grzegorz Muziol et al.
Materials 2023, 16(3), 1227; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16031227
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/1227

“Abnormal Eu³⁺ → Eu²⁺ Reduction in Ca_9−xMn_xEu(PO₄)₇ Phosphors: Structure and Luminescent Properties”
by Elena V. Sipina, Dmitry A. Spassky, Nataliya R. Krutyak, Vladimir A. Morozov, Evgenia S. Zhukovskaya, Alexei A. Belik, Mikhail S. Manylov, Bogdan I. Lazoryak and Dina V. Deyneko
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1383; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041383
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1383

“Strong Plasmon-Mie Resonance in Si@Pd Core-Ω Shell Nanocavity”
by Haomin Guo, Qi Hu, Chengyun Zhang, Haiwen Liu, Runmin Wu and Shusheng Pan
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1453; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041453
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1453

“Guard Ring Design to Prevent Edge Breakdown in Double-Diffused Planar InGaAs/InP Avalanche Photodiodes”
by Yu-Chun Chen, Ruei-Hong Yan, Hsu-Chia Huang, Liang-Hsuan Nieh and Hao-Hsiung Lin
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1667; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041667
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1667

“Enhanced Luminescence of Yb³⁺ Ions Implanted to ZnO through the Selection of Optimal Implantation and Annealing Conditions”
by Renata Ratajczak, Elzbieta Guziewicz, Slawomir Prucnal, Cyprian Mieszczynski, Przemysław Jozwik, Marek Barlak, Svitlana Romaniuk, Sylwia Gieraltowska, Wojciech Wozniak, René Heller et al.
Materials 2023, 16(5), 1756; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16051756
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/5/1756

“Optical Characterization of Thin Films by Surface Plasmon Resonance Spectroscopy Using an Acousto-Optic Tunable Filter”
by Ildus Sh. Khasanov, Boris A. Knyazev, Sergey A. Lobastov, Alexander V. Anisimov, Pavel A. Nikitin and Oleg E. Kameshkov
Materials 2023, 16(5), 1820; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16051820
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/5/1820

“Intercoupling of Cascaded Metasurfaces for Broadband Spectral Scalability”
by Shaolin Zhou, Liang Liu, Qinling Deng, Shaowei Liao, Quan Xue and Mansun Chan
Materials 2023, 16(5), 2013; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16052013
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/5/2013

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the research groups that submitted to Materials. We would appreciate it if you could circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=materials.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of optics and photonics, and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]).

Materials Editorial Office

Conference: The 7^th Conference on New Energy and New Chemical Materials Cum National Symposium on Energy Conversion and Storage Materials
Date: 7–9 April 2023
Place: Wuhan, China

Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) will be attending the 7^th Conference on New Energy and New Chemical Materials Cum National Symposium on Energy Conversion and Storage Materials as an exhibitor from 7 to 9 April 2023, in Wuhan, China.

The 7^th Conference on New Energy and New Chemical Materials Cum National Symposium on Energy Conversion and Storage Materials is an important academic conference in the field of new energy materials and devices research in China. It has been successfully held six times in Xiamen, Suzhou, Dalian, Zhengzhou, and twice in Xi'an. The conference will focus on academic exchanges and discussions on secondary batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells and electrocatalysis, advanced energy storage materials and technologies, anode and cathode materials, and other energy storage technologies from the academic and application fields. The conference will bring together famous domestic experts, scholars, and enterprise technicians to discuss the future development prospects and directions of new energy materials and devices research.

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Materials;
• Metals;
• Catalysts;
• Nanomaterials;
• Batteries;
• Electrochem;
• Electronic Materials;
• Crystals.

Please do not hesitate to reach out if you plan on attending this conference. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions you might have.

For more information about the conference, please visit the following website: http://www.zgclzk.org.cn/col.jsp?id=141.

Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) has launched the Section “Polymeric Materials”. We are pleased to present the 2023 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the Section “Polymeric Materials” listed below:

“Smart PEG-Block-PLA/PLA Nanosystems: Impact of the Characteristics of the Polymer Blend on the Redox Responsiveness”
by Louise Van Gheluwe, Stephanie David, Eric Buchy, Igor Chourpa and Emilie Munnier
Materials 2023, 16(2), 539; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020539
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/2/539

“Polymer and Composite Materials in Two-Phase Passive Thermal Management Systems: A Review”
by Ali Ahmed Alqahtani and Volfango Bertola
Materials 2023, 16(3), 893; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16030893
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/893

“Effect of Polydopamine Coating of Cellulose Nanocrystals on Performance of PCL/PLA Bio-Nanocomposites”
by Ivan Kelnar, Ludmila Kaprálková, Sabina Krejčíková, Jiří Dybal, Michaela Vyroubalová and A. M. Abdel-Mohsen
Materials 2023, 16(3), 1087; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16031087
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/1087

“Epoxy and Bio-Based Epoxy Carbon Fiber Twill Composites: Comparison of the Quasi-Static Properties”
by Carlo Boursier Niutta, Raffaele Ciardiello, Andrea Tridello and Davide S. Paolino
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1601; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041601
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1601

“Properties and Emissions of Three-Layer Particleboards Manufactured with Mixtures of Wood Chips and Partially Liquefied Bark”
by Wen Jiang, Stergios Adamopoulos, Reza Hosseinpourpia, Thomas Walther and Sergej Medved
Materials 2023, 16(5), 1855; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16051855
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/5/1855

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of the research groups that submitted to Materials. We would appreciate it if you could circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=materials.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of Polymeric Materials and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]).

Materials Editorial Office

Conference: 6th International Conference on Natural Fibers
Date: 19–21 June 2023
Place: Funchal, Portugal

MDPI will be attending the 6th International Conference on Natural Fibers as an exhibitor. This meeting will be held at the VidaMar Resort Hotel, Funchal, Portugal, from 19 to 21 June 2023. The Organizing Committee comprises the University of Minho. The theme of the conference is "Nature Inspired Sustainable Solutions". Through this meeting, we wish to contribute to discussing and exchanging progress in the potential of natural fibers as key materials for smart designs and sustainable solutions in future generations. 

The following MDPI journals will be represented:

• Polymers;
• Fibers;
• Macromol;
• Sustainability;
• Surfaces;
• Textiles;
• Materials. 

If you are attending this conference, please feel free to start a conversation with us. Our delegates look forward to meeting you in person and answering any questions that you may have. For more information about the conference, please visit: https://www.icnf2023.fibrenamics.com/.

As the Editors-in-Chief of Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944), we are pleased to announce the winners of the Materials 2023 Travel Award—Dr. Barbara Tomadoni and Ms. Farah Daou.

With so many high-quality applicants, the evaluation process and the final decision were challenging. We want to thank all applicants for submitting their diverse and fascinating range of research topics.

The following is an interview with Dr. Barbara Tomadoni:

1. Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little bit about your fields of interest? 
My name is Barbara Tomadoni. I have focused my research on bio-based materials. I am currently a postdoctoral researcher as part of the Group of Technology and Design of Multicomponent Products, at the University of Sevilla, Spain, where I work developing bio-based superabsorbent materials.

2. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
There are many trending topics in different areas that are of interest to the community in general. For example, data science and artificial intelligence have progressed rapidly in recent years. In medicine, genomics is an interesting and fast-growing research topic. In every scientific area, research is focusing on sustainability, aiming to achieve a circular economy and the replacement of petroleum-derived products and water treatments, among many others. Some trending topics particularly interesting in the materials field include nanotechnology, 3D printing, the replacement of lithium batteries, and the development of tailor-made functional materials.

3. Can you briefly describe the key to a happy laboratory life?
For me, one of the key elements to a happy lab life is to have the freedom and independence to work and to express your ideas. Collaboration with your peers is an essential part as well since teamwork is key to conducting successful research. The head of the lab is also an important factor in the life of the researchers, as this person will have a tremendous impact on their scientific and academic careers: a good leader is key to a happy lab life. Last but not least, it is very important to have a proper work–life balance, to avoid burnout and to reach your full potential, which is easier said than done.

4. What is your opinion of the Open Access model of publishing?
I believe that making research widely available to everyone contributes to higher quality research and will boost innovation. It is also important to have a proper research data management plan. For example, depositing research data within the university or institution repository. Making sure that data are available also guarantees the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) and contributes to open science. 

5. As the winner of this award, is there something you would like to express?
I would like to thank the Materials journal and MDPI for this award that will allow me to attend the Seventh International Symposium Frontiers in Polymer Science in Gothenburg, Sweden. This will give me the opportunity to connect with the materials community, share our latest findings on superabsorbent materials based on protein, and expand my network and learn about the latest research in the polymer field.

The following is an interview with Ms. Farah Daou:

1. Can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers and tell us a little bit about your fields of interest?
I am originally from Lebanon and moved to Italy as a research fellow. I am currently studying for my Ph.D. and my experiments are aimed at applications in real-life bone healing. I was interested in a European project, where I was introduced to Prof. Montini and began my journey in this field.

2. Which research topics do you think will be of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?
One of the most important challenges for the future is the global aging population, with the number of people aged 65 and over increasing significantly compared to younger age groups. It is researchers' responsibility to maintain the older population's physical and cognitive health, and therefore work on cartilage and bone regeneration is essential due to a high proportion of older people being significantly impacted by these issues, not only physically, but also through harm to their mental health.

3. Can you briefly describe the key to a happy laboratory life?
First of all, my group is very international and this is amazing. It adds the benefit of getting to know other people's cultures, but also adds different approaches to science and lab work, which gives the chance to improve your own knowledge and learn from others. It is important to accept an old saying from the Greek philosopher Socrates, 'I know that I know nothing'. Having intellectual humility helps in science, as it improves communication between researchers of all experiences and fields. Being able to ask about a topic that you do not know about creates an empowering environment, so it is important for research quality and morale. Science is interdisciplinary, so collaboration is necessary. This is the key to a happy lab life: collaboration and cooperation.

4. What is your opinion of the Open Access model of publishing?
I could not do experiments, research and write my thesis without access to articles. Therefore, I am an advocate for an Open Access model. I commented that both the publisher and authors should get their rights to the paper, which is a very important consideration. Publishing is becoming unaffordable, which drives the gap between smaller groups with limited resources that cannot pay for publishing and bigger groups who can afford to carry on and grow. Therefore, some further balance is needed, because allowing access to all is essential for having a proper scientific dialogue.

5. As the winner of this award, is there something you would like to express?
First of all, I want to thank Prof. Montini as the lab director for giving me the chance to come to Italy despite my limited experience; she opened the door of knowledge for me. When I moved to Italy, I came to understand how big research groups work and how research in developed countries is on another level. I would also like to thank all the people she works with, in the center for autoimmune and allergic diseases. Finally, I would like to thank all of my family members who have supported me, which I cannot go without.

On behalf of the assessment committee, we wish to congratulate the winners on their accomplishments.

The Section “Biomaterials” of Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) covers all aspects of the biomaterials field with a highly interdisciplinary scope, from the synthesis, processing, characterization, and testing to the biomedical applications of biomaterials. Topics of interest for this Section include but are not limited to materials for implants and prosthetic devices (orthopedic, cardiovascular, and other applications), bioactive and cell instructive materials, nanostructured biomaterials and nanoparticles, scaffolds for tissue engineering, biomedical coatings and antibacterial surfaces, materials for drug delivery carriers, tissue/biomaterial interfaces, and studies on clinical applications of biomaterials. Of special interest are papers that present the interaction of biomaterials and the biological environment, e.g., cell biology (in vitro) studies on biomaterials, microbiology interactions with materials (e.g., antibacterial materials), as well as in vivo studies that take the field closer to translation to clinical applications. Papers can present experimental or theoretical studies and should focus both on the “material” and on the “bio” component of biomaterials.

We are pleased to present the 2023 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the Section “Biomaterials” listed below:

“The Spray-Dried Alginate/Gelatin Microparticles with Luliconazole as Mucoadhesive Drug Delivery System”
by Marta Szekalska, Magdalena Wróblewska, Anna Czajkowska-Kośnik, Katarzyna Sosnowska, Paweł Misiak, Agnieszka Zofia Wilczewska and Katarzyna Winnicka
Materials 2023, 16(1), 403; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010403
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/1/403

“A Novel Chitosan Composite Biomaterial with Drug Eluting Capacity for Maxillary Bone Regeneration”
by Barbara Giordano-Kelhoffer, Raquel Rodríguez-Gonzalez, Marina Perpiñan-Blasco, Jenifer O. Buitrago, Begoña M. Bosch and Roman A. Perez
Materials 2023, 16(2), 685; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16020685
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/2/685

“Effects of Altering Magnesium Metal Surfaces on Degradation In Vitro and In Vivo during Peripheral Nerve Regeneration”
by Rigwed Tatu, Leon G. White, Yeoheung Yun, Tracy Hopkins, Xiaoxian An, Ahmed Ashraf, Kevin J. Little, Meir Hershcovitch, David B. Hom and Sarah Pixley
Materials 2023, 16(3), 1195; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16031195
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/1195

“Freeze Drying of Polymer Nanoparticles and Liposomes Exploiting Different Saccharide-Based Approaches”
by Ilaria Andreana, Valeria Bincoletto, Maela Manzoli, Francesca Rodà, Vita Giarraputo, Paola Milla, Silvia Arpicco and Barbara Stella
Materials 2023, 16(3), 1212; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16031212
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/3/1212

“Novel Artificial Scaffold for Bone Marrow Regeneration: Honeycomb Tricalcium Phosphate”
by Yasunori Inada, Kiyofumi Takabatake, Hidetsugu Tsujigiwa, Keisuke Nakano, Qiusheng Shan, Tianyan Piao, Anqi Chang, Hotaka Kawai and Hitoshi Nagatsuka
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1393; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041393
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1393

“Antimicrobial Properties of TiNbSn Alloys Anodized in a Sulfuric Acid Electrolyte”
by Yu Mori, Satoko Fujimori, Hiroaki Kurishima, Hiroyuki Inoue, Keiko Ishii, Maya Kubota, Kazuyoshi Kawakami, Naoko Mori, Toshimi Aizawa and Naoya Masahashi
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1487; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041487
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1487

“Porous Thermoplastic Molded Regenerated Silk Crosslinked by the Addition of Citric Acid”
by Alessio Bucciarelli, Nicola Vighi, Alessandra Maria Bossi, Brunella Grigolo and Devid Maniglio
Materials 2023, 16(4), 1535; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16041535
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/4/1535

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the research groups that have submitted their work to Materials. We would appreciate it if you could circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=materials.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of Biomaterials and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]).

Materials Editorial Office

We are pleased to highlight the hot papers published in Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) last year. We invite you to read the selection of published papers listed below:

1. “Multifunctional Iron Oxide Magnetic Nanoparticles for Biomedical Applications: A Review”
by Hung-Vu Tran, Nhat M. Ngo, Riddhiman Medhi, Pannaree Srinoi, Tingting Liu, Supparesk Rittikulsittichai and T. Randall Lee
Materials 2022, 15(2), 503; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15020503
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/2/503

2. “Synthesis and Applications of Graphene Oxide”
by Adéla Jiříčková, Ondřej Jankovský, Zdeněk Sofer and David Sedmidubský
Materials 2022, 15(3), 920; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15030920
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/3/920

3. “Layered Oxygen-Deficient Double Perovskites as Promising Cathode Materials for Solid Oxide Fuel Cells”
by Andrei I. Klyndyuk, Ekaterina A. Chizhova, Dzmitry S. Kharytonau and Dmitry A. Medvedev
Materials 2022, 15(1), 141; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15010141
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/1/141

 4. “Applications of Phyto-Nanotechnology for the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Disorders”
by Tanima Bhattacharya, Giselle Amanda Borges e Soares, Hitesh Chopra, Md. Mominur Rahman, Ziaul Hasan, Shasank S. Swain and Simona Cavalu
Materials 2022, 15(3), 804; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15030804
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/3/804

 5. “A Comprehensive Review of Biodegradable Polymer-Based Films and Coatings and Their Food Packaging Applications”
by Vatsla Gupta, Deblina Biswas and Swarup Roy
Materials 2022, 15(17), 5899; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15175899
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/17/5899

 6. “Microstructure Evolution and Improved Permeability of Ceramic Waste-Based Bricks”
by Wenfei Zhou, Huiling Du, Le Kang, Xian Du, Yupu Shi, Xiaojing Qiang, Haodong Li and Jing Zhao
Materials 2022, 15(3), 1130; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15031130
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/3/1130

 7. “The Mechanical Resistance of Asphalt Mixture with Steel Slag to Deformation and Skid Degradation Based on Laboratory Accelerated Heavy Loading Test”
by Jiasheng Li, Jianying Yu, Shaopeng Wu and Jun Xie
Materials 2022, 15(3), 911; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15030911
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/3/911

 8. “Synthesis, Characterization and Biomedical Application of Silver Nanoparticles”
by Ashwini Naganthran, Gayathiri Verasoundarapandian, Farah Eryssa Khalid, Mas Jaffri Masarudin, Azham Zulkharnain, Norazah Mohammad Nawawi, Murni Karim, Che Azurahanim Che Abdullah and Siti Aqlima Ahmad
Materials 2022, 15(2), 427; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15020427
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/2/427

 9. “Review on Graphene-, Graphene Oxide-, Reduced Graphene Oxide-Based Flexible Composites: From Fabrication to Applications”
by Aamir Razaq, Faiza Bibi, Xiaoxiao Zheng, Raffaello Papadakis, Syed Hassan Mujtaba Jafri and Hu Li
Materials 2022, 15(3), 1012; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15031012
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/3/1012

Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) has launched the Section “Thin Films and Interfaces”. Thin film materials are widespread for technological applications, spanning from electronics through medicine. Thin film materials can exhibit a greater number of vastly different structural, chemical, electrical, optical, and mechanical properties compared to their corresponding bulk counterparts due to the choice of substrate or underlying material, the material deposition and fabrication process, and the resulting variations in crystal phase, disorder and defects within poly-/nano-crystalline and amorphous materials, strain, and composition. The very nature of thin films involves the formation of interfaces, including that with the substrate, underlying or overlying layers, and/or the ambient. These interfaces and interfacial regions may exhibit additional variations due to confinement, bonding configurations, chemical composition, exposure to ambient, physical mixing, and the morphology present.

We are pleased to present the 2022 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the Section “Thin Films and Interfaces” listed below:

“Tuning of the Titanium Oxide Surface to Control Magnetic Properties of Thin Iron Films”
by Juliusz Chojenka, Arkadiusz Zarzycki, Marcin Perzanowski, Michał Krupiński, Tamás Fodor, Kálmán Vad and Marta Marszałek
Materials 2023, 16(1), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010289
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/1/289

“Deposition of Sol–Gel ZnO:Mg Films and Investigation of Their Structural and Optical Properties”
by Tatyana Ivanova, Antoaneta Harizanova, Tatyana Koutzarova, Benedicte Vertruyen and Raphael Closset
Materials 2022, 15(24), 8883; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15248883
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/24/8883

“Hybrid Dispersion Model Characterization of PAZO Azopolymer Thin Films over the Entire Transmittance Spectrum Measured in the UV/VIS/NIR Spectral Region”
by Dorian Minkov, Lian Nedelchev, George Angelov, Emilio Marquez, Blaga Blagoeva, Georgi Mateev and Dimana Nazarova
Materials 2022, 15(23), 8617; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15238617
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/23/8617

“Effects of Cold Rolling Reduction on Microstructure, Thickness, Adhesive Force of Al-Si Coating and on Bending Toughness of Al-Si Coated Press-Hardened Steel”
by Xue Feng, Xianlei Hu and Xianghua Liu
Materials 2023, 16(1), 4; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010004
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/1/4

“Polycrystalline PbTe:In Films on Amorphous Substrate: Structure and Physical Properties”
by Vadim Kovalyuk, Evgeniia Sheveleva, Mark Auslender, Gregory Goltsman, Roni Shneck and Zinovi Dashevsky
Materials 2022, 15(23), 8383; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15238383
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/23/8383

“Effect of Substrate Temperature on the Structural, Optical and Electrical Properties of DC Magnetron Sputtered VO₂ Thin Films”
by Chunzi Zhang, Ozan Gunes, Shi-Jie Wen, Qiaoqin Yang and Safa Kasap
Materials 2022, 15(21), 7849; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15217849
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/21/7849

“Characterization of Porous CuO Films for H₂S Gas Sensors”
by Dawoon Jung, Sehoon Hwang, Hyun-Jong Kim, Jae-Hee Han and Ho-Nyun Lee
Materials 2022, 15(20), 7270; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15207270
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/20/7270

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the research groups that submitted to Materials. We would appreciate it if you could circulate this document among your colleagues and network.

Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
Papers may be submitted via the following link:
https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=materials.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field. More information can be found at the following link:
https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/materials.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of Thin Films and Interfaces and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]).

Materials Editorial Office

Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) has launched the Section “Manufacturing Processes and Systems”. We are pleased to present the 2022 Editor’s Choice Articles, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the Section “Manufacturing Processes and Systems” listed below:

“Processing and Properties of Tungsten-Steel Composites and FGMs Prepared by Spark Plasma Sintering”
by Jiří Matějíček, Radek Mušálek, Zdeněk Dlabáček, Veronika Klevarová and Lenka Kocmanová
Materials 2022, 15(24), 9037; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15249037
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/24/9037

“The Influence of Co Addition on the Structure and Mechanical Properties of Tungsten Heavy Alloys”
by Paweł Skoczylas and Mieczysław Kaczorowski
Materials 2022, 15(24), 9064; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15249064
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/24/9064

“Growth Kinetics, Microstructure Evolution, and Some Mechanical Properties of Boride Layers Produced on X165CrV12 Tool Steel”
by Natalia Makuch, Michał Kulka, Mourad Keddam and Adam Piasecki
Materials 2023, 16(1), 26; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010026
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/1/26

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the research groups that submitted to Materials. We would appreciate it if you could circulate this document among your colleagues and network.

Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
Papers may be submitted via the following link:
https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=materials.

Launching a Special Issue:
You have the opportunity to propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field. More information can be found at the following link:
https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/materials.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of Manufacturing Processes and Systems and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]).

Materials Editorial Office

Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) has launched the Section “Advanced Composites”. Advanced composites are increasingly used in several industrial sectors such as transportation (airplanes, helicopters, trains, automobiles, motorbikes, and bicycles), civil construction, electrical and electronic equipment, pipes and tanks, marine, energy conversion, and consumer goods. They play a key role in the development of lightweight structures with outstanding mechanical properties, high reliability, and environmental resistance.

We are pleased to present the Editor’s Choice Articles from December 2022, a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the Section “Advanced Composites”, as listed below:

“Nonlinear Analytical Procedure for Predicting Debonding of Laminate from Substrate Subjected to Monotonic or Cyclic Load”
by Marco Lamberti, Francesco Ascione, Annalisa Napoli, Ghani Razaqpur and Roberto Realfonzo
Materials 2022, 15(23), 8690; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15238690
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/23/8690

“Open Hole Tension of 3D Printed Aligned Discontinuous Composites”
by Narongkorn Krajangsawasdi, Ian Hamerton, Benjamin K. S. Woods, Dmitry S. Ivanov and Marco L. Longana
Materials 2022, 15(23), 8698; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15238698
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/23/8698

“Transparent Wood-Based Materials: Current State-of-the-Art and Future Perspectives”
by Alberto Mariani and Giulio Malucelli
Materials 2022, 15(24), 9069; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15249069
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/24/9069

“Polymer Composites with Self-Regulating Temperature Behavior: Properties and Characterization”
by Radu Setnescu, Eduard-Marius Lungulescu and Virgil Emanuel Marinescu
Materials 2023, 16(1), 157; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010157
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/1/157

“Effective Halogen-Free Flame-Retardant Additives for Crosslinked Rigid Polyisocyanurate Foams: Comparison of Chemical Structures”
by Johannes U. Lenz, Doris Pospiech, Hartmut Komber, Andreas Korwitz, Oliver Kobsch, Maxime Paven, Rolf W. Albach, Martin Günther and Bernhard Schartel
Materials 2023, 16(1), 172; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010172
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/1/172

“Microstructural Characterization and Property of Carbon Fiber Reinforced High-Density Polyethylene Composites Fabricated by Fused Deposition Modeling”
by Partha Pratim Pandit, Chang Liu, Scott Iacono, Giancarlo Corti and Yingbin Huz
Materials 2023, 16(1), 180; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010180
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/1/180

“In-Service Delaminations in FRP Structures under Operational Loading Conditions: Are Current Fracture Testing and Analysis on Coupons Sufficient for Capturing the Essential Effects for Reliable Predictions?”
by Andreas J. Brunner, René Alderliesten and John-Alan Pascoe
Materials 2023, 16(1), 248; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010248
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/1/248

“Improvement of the Thermal Conductivity and Mechanical Properties of 3D-printed Polyurethane Composites by Incorporating Hydroxylated Boron Nitride Functional Fillers”
by Kai-Han Su, Cherng-Yuh Su, Wei-Ling Shih and Fang-Ting Lee
Materials 2023, 16(1), 356; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010356
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/1/356

Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) has launched the Section “Quantum Materials”. This Section publishes novel scientific and applied research that significantly contributes to the understanding and discovery of quantum materials and related phenomena, functions, and applications. Quantum materials are characterized by quantum many-body-systems in a typical form of strongly correlated electrons in solids that can engender novel and remarkable properties and functions, including Mott transition, high-temperature superconductivity, topological superconductivity, colossal magnetoresistance, giant magnetoelectric effect, and so forth.

We are pleased to present the 2022 Editor’s Choice Articles, which is a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the Section “Quantum Materials”.

“Pressure-Induced Superconductivity in Iron-Based Spin-Ladder Compound BaFe_2+δ(S_1−xSe_x)₃”
by Hiroki Takahashi, Ryosuke Kikuchi, Chizuru Kawashima, Satoshi Imaizumi, Takuya Aoyama and Kenya Ohgushi
Materials 2022, 15(4), 1401; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15041401
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/4/1401

“Magnetic Properties of A₂Ni₂TeO₆ (A = K, Li): Zigzag Order in the Honeycomb Layers of Ni²⁺ Ions Induced by First and Third Nearest-Neighbor Spin Exchanges”
by Tatyana Vasilchikova, Alexander Vasiliev, Maria Evstigneeva, Vladimir Nalbandyan, Ji-Sun Lee, Hyun-Joo Koo and Myung-Hwan Whangbo
Materials 2022, 15(7), 2563; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15072563
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/7/2563

“Pressure Tuning of Superconductivity of LaPt₄Ge₁₂ and PrPt₄Ge₁₂ Single Crystals”
by Gustavo A. Lombardi, Kamal Mydeen, Roman Gumeniuk, Andreas Leithe-Jasper, Walter Schnelle, Ricardo D. dos Reis and Michael Nicklas
Materials 2022, 15(8), 2743; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15082743
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/8/2743

“Unraveling the Phase Stability and Physical Property of Modulated Martensite in Ni₂Mn_1.5In_0.5 Alloys by First-Principles Calculations”
by Xin-Zeng Liang, Jing Bai, Zi-Qi Guan, Yu Zhang, Jiang-Long Gu, Yu-Dong Zhang, Claude Esling, Xiang Zhao and Liang Zuo
Materials 2022, 15(11), 4032; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15114032
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/11/4032

“Pressure-Induced Superconductivity of the Quasi-One-Dimensional Organic Conductor (TMTTF)₂TaF₆”
by Miho Itoi, Toshikazu Nakamura and Yoshiya Uwatoko
Materials 2022, 15(13), 4638; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15134638
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/13/4638

“Effect of Silver Doping on the Superconducting and Structural Properties of YBCO Films Grown by PLD on Different Templates”
by Ilya A. Shipulin, Aleena Anna Thomas, Sigrid Holleis, Michael Eisterer, Kornelius Nielsch and Ruben Hühne
Materials 2022, 15(15), 5354; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15155354
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/15/5354

“Destabilization of the Charge Density Wave and the Absence of Superconductivity in ScV₆Sn₆ under High Pressures up to 11 GPa”
by Xiaoxiao Zhang, Jun Hou, Wei Xia, Zhian Xu, Pengtao Yang, Anqi Wang, Ziyi Liu, Jie Shen, Hua Zhang, Xiaoli Dong et al.
Materials 2022, 15(20), 7372; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15207372
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/20/7372

“Bond-Orbital-Resolved Piezoelectricity in Sp²-Hybridized Monolayer Semiconductors”
by Zongtan Wang, Yulan Liu and Biao Wang
Materials 2022, 15(21), 7788; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15217788
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/21/7788

“Critical Current Density in d-Wave Hubbard Superconductors”
by José Samuel Millán, Jorge Millán, Luis A. Pérez and Harold S. Ruiz
Materials 2022, 15(24), 8969; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15248969
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/24/8969

“Theoretical Study of Dynamical and Electronic Properties of Noncentrosymmetric Superconductor NbReSi”
by Surajit Basak and Andrzej Ptok.
Materials 2023, 16(1), 78; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma16010078
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/16/1/78

We want to thank all the research groups that submitted to Materials. Please circulate this document among your colleagues and network. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=materials.

Launching a Special Issue:
You can propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of Quantum Materials and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]).

Materials Editorial Office

Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) has launched the Section “Smart Materials”. This Section is a forum for the rapid publication of works pertaining to the preparation, characterization, and application of all smart materials. The scope of smart materials comprises, without being limited to, various applications in sensors and actuators, soft robotics, wearable electronics, flexible/stretchable electronics, energy generation and storage devices, displays, and shape memory polymers by utilizing the concept of smart materials.

We are pleased to present the 2022 Editor’s Choice Articles, which is a carefully curated list of high-quality articles from the Section “Smart Materials”.

“Facile Fabrication of ZnO-ZnFe₂O₄ Hollow Nanostructure by a One-Needle Syringe Electrospinning Method for a High-Selective H₂S Gas Sensor”
by Kee-Ryung Park, Ryun Na Kim, Yoseb Song, Jinhyeong Kwon and Hyeunseok Choi
Materials 2022, 15(2) 399; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15020399
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/2/399

“Investigation into the Performance of NiTi Shape Memory Alloy Wire Reinforced Sn-Bi Self-Healing Metal Matrix Composite”
by Nathan Salowitz, Shobhit Misra, Istiaque Haider, Marco Povolo and Pradeep Rohatgi
Materials 2022, 15(9), 2970; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15092970
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/9/2970

“Hinged Adaptive Fiber-Rubber Composites Driven by Shape Memory Alloys—Development and Simulation”
by Felix Lohse, Achyuth Ram Annadata, Eric Häntzsche, Thomas Gereke, Wolfgang Trümper and Chokri Cherif
Materials 2022, 15(11), 3830; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15113830
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/11/3830

“Design and Control of Magnetic Shape Memory Alloy Actuators”
by Bartosz Minorowicz and Andrzej Milecki.
Materials 2022, 15(13), 4400; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15134400
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/13/4400

“Comparison between Piezoelectric and Piezoresistive Wearable Gait Monitoring Techniques”
by Zhiyuan Zhang, Zhenyu Xu, Wenbin Chen and Shuo Gao
Materials 2022, 15(14), 4837; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15144837
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/14/4837

“Designing for Shape Memory in Additive Manufacturing of Cu–Al–Ni Shape Memory Alloy Processed by Laser Powder Bed Fusion”
by Mikel Pérez-Cerrato, Itziar Fraile, José Fernando Gómez-Cortés, Ernesto Urionabarrenetxea, Isabel Ruiz-Larrea, Iban González, María Luisa Nó, Nerea Burgos and Jose M. San Juan
Materials 2022, 15(18), 6284; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15186284
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/18/6284

“Halochromic Inks Applied on Cardboard for Food Spoilage Monitorization”
by Liliana Leite, Inês Boticas, Navarro, Luís Nobre, João Bessa, Fernando Cunha, Pedro Neves and Raúl Fangueiro
Materials 2022, 15(18), 6431; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15186431
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/18/6431

“Smart Humidly Adaptive Yarns and Textiles from Twisted and Coiled Viscose Fiber Artificial Muscles”
by Mingrui Guo, Yangyang Peng, Zihan Chen, Nan Sheng and Fengxin Sun
Materials 2022, 15(23), 8312; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma15238312
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/15/23/8312

We want to thank all the research groups that submitted manuscripts to Materials. Please circulate this document among your colleagues and networks. Furthermore, the following opportunities for collaboration may be of interest:

Submitting a manuscript:
This Section is currently open for submissions. Papers may be submitted via the following link: https://susy.mdpi.com/user/manuscripts/upload?journal=materials.

Launching a Special Issue:
You can propose hot topics and edit a Special Issue together with experts in the field.

Joining the Editorial Board:
If you are an active researcher in the field of Smart Materials and are interested in joining the Editorial Board, please do not hesitate to get in touch ([email protected]).

Materials Editorial Office

As a leading open access publisher, MDPI provides scholars with a high-quality and rich academic exchange platform by continuously expanding into new and exciting research areas.

In December 2022, MDPI launched five new journals, covering multiple subjects such as life sciences, biology, medicine and pharmacology, social sciences and humanities. These new journals are being edited by established scholars across the world.

Journal	Founding Editor-in-Chief	Journal Topics (Selected)
	Prof. Dr. Fabio Gresta, University of Messina, Italy| Editorial | view inaugural issue	grass/forage/turf production; grassland management; pasture monitoring; grazing and livestock; grass agro-ecosystems| view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Christos G. Athanassiou, University of Thessaly, Greece| Editorial | view inaugural issue	pesticides; fungicides; herbicides; fertilizers; soil conditioners| view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Stephen H. Safe, Texas A&M University, USA| Editorial | view inaugural issue	receptor structure; receptor function; receptor signaling; receptor expression and regulation; receptor interactions with drugs| view journal scope | submit an article
	Dr. Jean Jacques Vanden Eynde, University of Mons-UMONS, Belgium| Editorial | view inaugural issue	drug discovery; medicinal chemistry; preclinical and clinical research; marketed drugs; intellectual property and regulatory affairs| view journal scope | submit an article
	Prof. Dr. Heather Kanuka, University of Alberta, Canada| Editorial | view inaugural issue	higher education; tertiary education; policy and practice in higher education; educational leadership in higher education; educational administration and management in higher education| view journal scope | submit an article

If you are interested in creating more open access journals with us to publish cutting-edge research, please send your journal proposal application to [email protected].

MDPI is pleased to announce that we now display the co-authors’ email addresses in addition to the corresponding author’s email address on the webpage of published papers, protected by Captcha. For more information about this change, please visit the journal’s instructions for authors page. 

We believe this change will facilitate academic discussions and advance our cause of open science and research. The corresponding authors are responsible for communicating with their co-authors and indicating in our system (https://susy.mdpi.com/) if co-authors would prefer for their email addresses not to be displayed.

On 9 February 2023, Clarivate, a global leader in providing trusted insights and analytics, added the Preprint Citation Index to the Web of Science platform, streamlining the research process by allowing researchers to locate and link to preprints alongside other trusted content in the database.

The Preprint Citation Index will act as a bridge to connect cutting-edge preprints with peer-reviewed journal articles published within the Web of Science Core Collection. Alerts can be easily set to monitor new research across several repositories and authors will also be able to include preprints on their Web of Science Research Profile to more accurately display their various research outputs.

As of its launch, the Preprint Citation Index will provide nearly two million preprints from various repositories, including MDPI’s own Preprints.org.

MDPI's Preprints Platform – Preprints.org

To advance Open Science and the fast dissemination of research, MDPI offers researchers a free multidisciplinary preprint platform. Preprints.org accepts submissions from all research areas and offers authors high visibility, permanent archiving, article-level Metrics and immediately citable content by assigning a Digital Object Identifier (DOI) to all preprints.

During submission to any MDPI journal, authors have the option to share their research as a preprint. After an initial screening, the manuscript is available online in 48 hours or less. Once online, preprints can be downloaded, shared, commented on, and cited, providing authors maximum visibility.

We invite you to join the ranks of the over 100k researchers using Preprints.org and share your research.

For more information, please visit Preprints.org.

We are currently recruiting Topical Advisory Panel Members for Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944). Should you decide to serve on the Topical Advisory Panel, you would be responsible for some of the following tasks, depending on your availability:

• Providing regular reviews of manuscripts;
• Setting up at least one Special Issue (SI) in partnership with a senior researcher within two years of your appointment and proposing a detailed strategy plan for the SI. The topic of the proposal should be within the scope of Materials, but broad enough to attract a reasonable number of submissions, while also narrow enough to provide a cohesive collection of articles. The Special Issue should cover a small part of the scope of Materials;
• Providing a detailed strategy plan for the SI, including assisting in preparing Special Issue/Topic titles, aims and scopes, summaries, and keywords, soliciting papers and promoting the SI;
• Providing support for the Special Issues/Topics related to your expertise when the Guest Editors are not available. This includes SI promotion via social media and advice on some scientific cases;
• Promoting our journal at conferences (adding 1–2 slides into your presentation, distributing flyers, recommending the journal to your colleagues, etc.), on social media and other relevant platforms;
• Working with Editorial Board Members or the Editorial Office to promote high-quality/featured papers (for example, writing summaries or highlights for editor-selected papers).

To qualify as a Topical Advisory Panel Member, applicants must fulfill the following criteria:

• Have expertise and experience in the field related to Materials;
• Have completed their Ph.D. in the last 10 years (approximately);
• Have published at least 6 papers in the last 5 years as a first author or corresponding author;
• Currently hold an independent research position in academia or government institute.

Each year, the journal members’ performance is evaluated, and outstanding members are promoted to the Editorial Board by the Editor-in-Chief.

You can submit your application via the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/materials/topical_advisory_panel_application. Alternatively, you may send an email to the Editorial Office ([email protected]) with your academic CV attached.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

The year 2023 marks the 15th anniversary of Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944), a peer-reviewed open access journal of materials science and engineering published semimonthly online by MDPI. To date, Materials has published more than 33,000 papers from more than 120,000 scholars. More than 45,000 reviewers and academic editors contribute to our peer review process. We sincerely appreciate the contributions and support of every author, reviewer, and academic editor. To celebrate the achievements and mark this significant milestone, we have arranged a series of special events. We hope you can join us in celebrating the 15th anniversary of our journal and enjoy the collection below.

Anniversary Video from the Editors of Materials

Development and Achievements

View the 15-year timeline infographic below. Trace the development of Materials from its origins and through key events.

Anniversary Special Issues

To celebrate the 15th anniversary of our journal Materials, we launched a series of anniversary Special Issues. For more details, please click here.

Collection of Excellent Works

Please click the covers above for details. For more collections of excellent works, please click here.

Issue Covers

Please click the covers above for details. For more issue covers, please click here.

Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944) received its first Impact Factor of 3.748 in 2022 and is now published semi-monthly. Since it was first established, Materials has aimed to provide a professional publishing service to the scientific community and has strived towards the effective dissemination of high-quality scientific work.

Materials is a peer-reviewed, open access journal of materials science and engineering published semi-monthly online by MDPI. The Portuguese Materials Society (SPM), Spanish Materials Society (SOCIEMAT) and Manufacturing Engineering Society (MES) are affiliated with Materials and their members receive a discount on the article processing charges.

In order to support the scientific community and contribute to the faster distribution of important scientific research, Materials has cooperated with various academic conferences and is now seeking cooperation with additional academic conferences. The journal is open to a diverse range of collaborations, such as media partnerships, awards, exhibitions, and publications.

The scope of Materials includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Publishing research related to all classes of materials, including ceramics, glasses, polymers (plastics), composites, semiconductors, magnetic materials, biological and biomimetics materials, silica, dots, and carbon materials, metals, and alloys from nanoscale to bulk alloys. All kinds of functional materials used for the development of medical implants in medicine and dentistry, coatings and films, pigments, ionic crystals, covalent crystals, metals, and intermetallics are also considered;
• Covering all aspects of materials science or materials engineering, including nanoscience and nanotechnology;
• Contributing to the advancement of material characterization techniques, such as electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, calorimetry, nuclear microscopy and spectroscopy, laser technology, optical fibers, Rutherford backscattering, and neutron diffraction, among others;
• Inciting fundamental research in condensed matter physics and materials physics, continuum mechanics and statistics, mechanics of materials, tribology (friction, lubrication and wear), solid-state physics, etc.

We welcome consultations with any conferences related to materials. If you are interested in collaborating with Materials, please contact us at [email protected].

We are currently recruiting Editorial Board Members (EBMs) for Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944). If you are interested in serving on the Editorial Board, or have potential candidates to recommend, please do not hesitate to contact the Editorial Office ([email protected]).

The Editorial Board Members will be responsible for final decisions on manuscripts in their field of expertise, editing Special Issues, and they may be invited to review manuscripts.

The initial term is for 2 years, which entails the following responsibilities:

• Pre-screening and making decisions on new submissions related to your research interests;
• Setting up at least one Special Issue during your term on a topic related to your research interests (or supervising Special Issues related to your research field);
• Providing input or feedback regarding journal policies;
• Helping to promote the journal among your peers or at conferences;
• Attending board meetings to suggest journal development strategies;
• Reviewing manuscripts.

As an Editorial Board Member, you would have the following benefits:

• Publishing one paper free of charge in Materials per year, and also publishing extra papers with special discounts;
• Publishing one paper free of charge in your own Special Issue per year;
• A travel grant opportunity will be offered to Editorial Board Members that make significant contributions to the journal;
• Recommending/inviting your colleagues to submit full research articles or review papers with special discounts.

Materials is an open access journal that publishes spotlights, reviews, original research contributions, and short communications. The scientific community is encouraged to submit the details of both their experimental and theoretical results of any length to Materials. The aims and scope of the journal can be found on the following website: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/materials/about. Materials is abstracted and indexed within Scopus, SCIE (Web of Science), PubMed, PMC, Ei Compendex, CaPlus/SciFinder, Inspec, Astrophysics Data System, and other databases. The impact factor of the journal is 3.748.

We look forward to hearing from you.