Announcements

The 2021 citation metrics have been officially released in Scopus!

We are pleased to announce that 182 MDPI journals are included, of which:

● 21 journals received their first CiteScore.
● 85% of journals increased their CiteScore from 2020.
● 155 journals (85%) ranked above average, in at least one category.

The following 65 MDPI journals (36%) ranked among the top 25% of journals, in at least one category:

Source: 2021 CiteScores™ (Elsevier)

The following are the 2021 top 10 cited papers from the Section “Advanced Nanomaterials and Nanotechnology” of Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944):

1. “Whither Magnetic Hyperthermia? A Tentative Roadmap”
Rubia-Rodríguez, I.; Santana-Otero, A.; Spassov, S.; Tombácz, E.; Johansson, C.; De La Presa, P.; Teran, F.J.; Morales, M.d.P.; Veintemillas-Verdaguer, S.; Thanh, N.T.K.; Besenhard, M.O.; Wilhelm, C.; Gazeau, F.; Harmer, Q.; Mayes, E.; Manshian, B.B.; Soenen, S.J.; Gu, Y.; Millán, Á.; Efthimiadou, E.K.; Gaudet, J.; Goodwill, P.; Mansfield, J.; Steinhoff, U.; Wells, J.; Wiekhorst, F.; Ortega, D.
Materials 2021, 14(4), 706. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14040706
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/4/706 

2. “Charge Carrier Processes and Optical Properties in TiO₂ and TiO₂-Based Heterojunction Photocatalysts: A Review”
Lettieri, S.; Pavone, M.; Fioravanti, A.; Santamaria Amato, L.; Maddalena, P.
Materials 2021, 14(7), 1645. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14071645
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/7/1645 

3. “Effect of UV Irradiation and TiO₂-Photocatalysis on Airborne Bacteria and Viruses: An Overview”
Bono, N.; Ponti, F.; Punta, C.; Candiani, G.
Materials 2021, 14(5), 1075. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14051075
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/5/1075 

4. “Polymer-Coated Magnetite Nanoparticles for Protein Immobilization”
Mylkie, K.; Nowak, P.; Rybczynski, P.; Ziegler-Borowska, M.
Materials 2021, 14(2), 248. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14020248
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/2/248 

5. “The Effects of Various Concentrations of NaOH on the Inter-Particle Gelation of a Fly Ash Geopolymer Aggregate”
Abdullah, A.; Hussin, K.; Abdullah, M.M.A.B.; Yahya, Z.; Sochacki, W.; Razak, R.A.; Błoch, K.; Fansuri, H.
Materials 2021, 14(5), 1111. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14051111
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/5/1111 

6. “Utilization of Eco-Friendly Waste Generated Nanomaterials in Water-Based Drilling Fluids; State of the Art Review”
Ikram, R.; Mohamed Jan, B.; Sidek, A.; Kenanakis, G.
Materials 2021, 14(15), 4171. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14154171
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/15/4171 

7. “Formation, Structure and Magnetic Properties of MFe₂O₄@SiO₂ (M = Co, Mn, Zn, Ni, Cu) Nanocomposites”
Dippong, T.; Levei, E.A.; Cadar, O.
Materials 2021, 14(5), 1139. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14051139
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/5/1139 

8. “Filtration Materials Modified with 2D Nanocomposites—A New Perspective for Point-of-Use Water Treatment”
Jakubczak, M.; Karwowska, E.; Rozmysłowska-Wojciechowska, A.; Petrus, M.; Woźniak, J.; Mitrzak, J.; Jastrzębska, A.M.
Materials 2021, 14(1), 182. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14010182
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/1/182 

9. “A Highly Sensitive Room Temperature CO₂ Gas Sensor Based on SnO₂-rGO Hybrid Composite”
Lee, Z.Y.; Hawari, H.F.b.; Djaswadi, G.W.b.; Kamarudin, K.
Materials 2021, 14(3), 522. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14030522
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/3/522 

10. “Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Alumina Composites with Addition of Structurally Modified 2D Ti₃C₂ (MXene) Phase”
Cygan, T.; Wozniak, J.; Petrus, M.; Lachowski, A.; Pawlak, W.; Adamczyk-Cieślak, B.; Jastrzębska, A.; Rozmysłowska-Wojciechowska, A.; Wojciechowski, T.; Ziemkowska, W.; Olszyna, A.
Materials 2021, 14(4), 829. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14040829
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/4/829

The following are the 2021 top 10 cited papers from the Section “Advanced Composites” of Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944):

1. “A Review on AA 6061 Metal Matrix Composites Produced by Stir Casting”
by Kareem, A.; Qudeiri, J.A.; Abdudeen, A.; Ahammed, T.; Ziout, A.
Materials 2021, 14(1), 175. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14010175
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/1/175

2. “Experimental and Theoretical Study of Radiation Shielding Features of CaO-K₂O-Na₂O-P₂O₅ Glass Systems”
by Sayyed, M.I.; Albarzan, B.; Almuqrin, A.H.; El-Khatib, A.M.; Kumar, A.; Tishkevich, D.I.; Trukhanov, A.V.; Elsafi, M.
Materials 2021, 14(14), 3772. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14143772
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/14/3772 

3. “Application of Gene Expression Programming (GEP) for the Prediction of Compressive Strength of Geopolymer Concrete”
by Ali Khan, M.; Zafar, A.; Akbar, A.; Javed, M.F.; Mosavi, A.
Materials 2021, 14(5), 1106. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14051106
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/5/1106 

4. “Imprinting Technology for Effective Sorbent Fabrication: Current State-of-Art and Future Prospects”
by Janczura, M.; Luliński, P.; Sobiech, M.
Materials 2021, 14(8), 1850. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14081850
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/8/1850 

5. “Properties of Eco-Friendly Particleboards Bonded with Lignosulfonate-Urea-Formaldehyde Adhesives and pMDI as a Crosslinker”
by Bekhta, P.; Noshchenko, G.; Réh, R.; Kristak, L.; Sedliačik, J.; Antov, P.; Mirski, R.; Savov, V.
Materials 2021, 14(17), 4875. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14174875
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/17/4875 

6. “Synthesis of Eco-Friendly Biopolymer, Alginate-Chitosan Composite to Adsorb the Heavy Metals, Cd(II) and Pb(II) from Contaminated Effluents”
by Hamza, M.F.; Hamad, N.A.; Hamad, D.M.; Khalafalla, M.S.; Abdel-Rahman, A.A.-H.; Zeid, I.F.; Wei, Y.; Hessien, M.M.; Fouda, A.; Salem, W.M.
Materials 2021, 14(9), 2189. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14092189
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/9/2189 

7. “Determination of Transverse Shear Stiffness of Sandwich Panels with a Corrugated Core by Numerical Homogenization”
by Garbowski, T.; Gajewski, T.
Materials 2021, 14(8), 1976. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14081976
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/8/1976 

8. “Acoustic Properties of Innovative Concretes: A Review”
by Fediuk, R.; Amran, M.; Vatin, N.; Vasilev, Y.; Lesovik, V.; Ozbakkaloglu, T.
Materials 2021, 14(2), 398. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14020398
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/2/398 

9. “Multi Ceramic Particles Inclusion in the Aluminium Matrix and Wear Characterization through Experimental and Response Surface-Artificial Neural Networks”
by Sharath, B.N.; Venkatesh, C.V.; Afzal, A.; Aslfattahi, N.; Aabid, A.; Baig, M.; Saleh, B.
Materials 2021, 14(11), 2895. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14112895
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/11/2895 

10. “Influence of the Fly Ash Material Inoculants on the Tensile and Impact Characteristics of the Aluminum AA 5083/7.5SiC Composites”
by Nagaraja, S.; Nagegowda, K.U.; Kumar V, A.; Alamri, S.; Afzal, A.; Thakur, D.; Kaladgi, A.R.; Panchal, S.; Saleel C, A.
Materials 2021, 14(9), 2452. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14092452
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/9/2452

The following are the 2021 top 10 cited papers from the Section “Porous Materials” of Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944):

1. “Idealized 3D Auxetic Mechanical Metamaterial: An Analytical, Numerical, and Experimental Study”
Ghavidelnia, N.; Bodaghi, M.; Hedayati, R.
Materials 2021, 14(4), 993. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14040993
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/4/993

2. “Polyurethane Foams for Domestic Sewage Treatment”
Dacewicz, E.; Grzybowska-Pietras, J.
Materials 2021, 14(4), 933. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14040933
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/4/933

3. “Porous Alumina Films Fabricated by Reduced Temperature Sulfuric Acid Anodizing: Morphology, Composition and Volumetric Growth”
Poznyak, A.; Pligovka, A.; Laryn, T.; Salerno, M.
Materials 2021, 14(4), 767. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14040767
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/4/767

4. “Adsorptive Removal of Phosphate from Aqueous Solutions Using Low-Cost Volcanic Rocks: Kinetics and Equilibrium Approaches”
Mekonnen, D.T.; Alemayehu, E.; Lennartz, B.
Materials 2021, 14(5), 1312. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14051312
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/5/1312

5. “Nitrogen-Doped Hierarchical Porous Activated Carbon Derived from Paddy for High-Performance Supercapacitors”
Yuan, Y.; Sun, Y.; Feng, Z.; Li, X.; Yi, R.; Sun, W.; Zhao, C.; Yang, L.
Materials 2021, 14(2), 318. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14020318
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/2/318

6. “Covalent Organic Frameworks: New Materials Platform for Photocatalytic Degradation of Aqueous Pollutants”
Qian, Y.; Ma, D.
Materials 2021, 14(19), 5600. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14195600
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/19/5600

7. “Effects of Physical and Chemical Modification of Sunflower Cake on Polyurethane Composite Foam Properties”
Strąkowska, A.; Członka, S.; Kairytė, A.; Strzelec, K.
Materials 2021, 14(6), 1414. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14061414
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/6/1414

8. “Vegetable Fillers and Rapeseed Oil-Based Polyol as Natural Raw Materials for the Production of Rigid Polyurethane Foams”
Leszczyńska, M.; Malewska, E.; Ryszkowska, J.; Kurańska, M.; Gloc, M.; Leszczyński, M.K.; Prociak, A.
Materials 2021, 14(7), 1772. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14071772
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/7/1772

9. “Casein/Apricot Filler in the Production of Flame-Retardant Polyurethane Composites”
Członka, S.; Kairytė, A.; Miedzińska, K.; Strąkowska, A.
Materials 2021, 14(13), 3620. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14133620
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/13/3620

10. “Dynamic Performance of Laminated High-Damping and High-Stiffness Composite Structure Composed of Metal Rubber and Silicone Rubber”
Zheng, X.; Ren, Z.; Shen, L.; Zhang, B.; Bai, H.
Materials 2021, 14(1), 187. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14010187
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/1/187

The following are the 2021 top 10 cited papers from the Section “Carbon Materials” of Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944):

1. “The Importance of Structural Factors for the Electrochemical Performance of Graphene/Carbon Nanotube/Melamine Powders towards the Catalytic Activity of Oxygen Reduction Reaction”
Kamedulski, P.; Lukaszewicz, J.P.; Witczak, L.; Szroeder, P.; Ziolkowski, P.
Materials 2021, 14(9), 2448. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14092448
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/9/2448

2. “Bio-Based Plasticized PVA Based Polymer Blend Electrolytes for Energy Storage EDLC Devices: Ion Transport Parameters and Electrochemical Properties”
Aziz, S.B.; Nofal, M.M.; Kadir, M.F.Z.; Dannoun, E.M.A.; Brza, M.A.; Hadi, J.M.; Abdullah, R.M.
Materials 2021, 14(8), 1994. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14081994
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/8/1994

3. “Luminescent Carbon Dots Synthesized by the Laser Ablation of Graphite in Polyethylenimine and Ethylenediamine”
Kaczmarek, A.; Hoffman, J.; Morgiel, J.; Mościcki, T.; Stobiński, L.; Szymański, Z.; Małolepszy, A.
Materials 2021, 14(2), 729. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14040729
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/4/729

4. “Case Study of Polyvinylidene Fluoride Doping by Carbon Nanotubes”
Kaspar, P.; Sobola, D.; Částková, K.; Dallaev, R.; Šťastná, E.; Sedlák, P.; Knápek, A.; Trčka, T.; Holcman, V.
Materials 2021, 14(6), 1428. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14061428
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/6/1428 

5. “Effect of Fine Size-Fractionated Sunflower Husk Biochar on Water Retention Properties of Arable Sandy Soil”
Gluba, Ł.; Rafalska-Przysucha, A.; Szewczak, K.; Łukowski, M.; Szlązak, R.; Vitková, J.; Kobyłecki, R.; Bis, Z.; Wichliński, M.; Zarzycki, R.; Kacprzak, A.; Usowicz, B.
Materials 2021, 14(6), 1335. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14061335
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/6/1335

6. “Impact of Sinorhizobium meliloti Exopolysaccharide on Adsorption and Aggregation in the Copper(II) Ions/Supporting Electrolyte/Kaolinite System”
Szewczuk-Karpisz, K.; Tomczyk, A.; Komaniecka, I.; Choma, A.; Adamczuk, A.; Sofińska-Chmiel, W.
Materials 2021, 14(8), 1950. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14081950
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/8/1950

7. “Synthesis of Sodium Cobalt Fluoride/Reduced Graphene Oxide (NaCoF₃/rGO) Nanocomposites and Investigation of Their Electrochemical Properties as Cathodes for Li-Ion Batteries”
Oh, J.; Jang, J.; Lim, E.; Jo, C.; Chun, J.
Materials 2021, 14(3), 547. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14030547
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/3/547

8. “Tribological Performance of Graphite Nanoplatelets Reinforced Al and Al/Al₂O₃ Self-Lubricating Composites”
Omrani, E.; Moghadam, A.D.; Kasar, A.K.; Rohatgi, P.; Menezes, P.L.
Materials 2021, 14(5), 1183. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14051183
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/5/1183

9. “Straw-Based Activated Carbon: Optimization of the Preparation Procedure and Performance of Volatile Organic Compounds Adsorption”
Li, Z.; Li, Y.; Zhu, J.
Materials 2021, 14(12), 3284. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14123284
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/12/3284

10. “Recent Advances in Design and Fabrication of Nanocomposites for Electromagnetic Wave Shielding and Absorbing”
Huang, Y.; Chen, M.; Xie, A.; Wang, Y.; Xu, X.
Materials 2021, 14(15), 4148. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14154148
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/15/4148

1. “Rheological and the Fresh State Properties of Alkali-Activated Mortars by Blast Furnace Slag”
Marvila, M.T.; Azevedo, A.R.G.d.; Matos, P.R.d.; Monteiro, S.N.; Vieira, C.M.F.
Materials 2021, 14(8), 2069. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14082069
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/8/2069

2. “Prediction of Compressive Strength of Fly Ash Based Concrete Using Individual and Ensemble Algorithm”
Ahmad, A.; Farooq, F.; Niewiadomski, P.; Ostrowski, K.; Akbar, A.; Aslam, F.; Alyousef, R.
Materials 2021, 14(4), 794. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14040794
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/4/794

3. “Fly Ash-Based Eco-Efficient Concretes: A Comprehensive Review of the Short-Term Properties”
Amran, M.; Fediuk, R.; Murali, G.; Avudaiappan, S.; Ozbakkaloglu, T.; Vatin, N.; Karelina, M.; Klyuev, S.; Gholampour, A.
Materials 2021, 14(15), 4264. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14154264
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/15/4264

4. “Pyrolytic Conversion of Plastic Waste to Value-Added Products and Fuels: A Review”
Papari, S.; Bamdad, H.; Berruti, F.
Materials 2021, 14(10), 2586. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14102586
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/10/2586

5. “Application of Novel Machine Learning Techniques for Predicting the Surface Chloride Concentration in Concrete Containing Waste Material”
Ahmad, A.; Farooq, F.; Ostrowski, K.A.; Śliwa-Wieczorek, K.; Czarnecki, S.
Materials 2021, 14(9), 2297. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14092297
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/9/2297

6. “Rheology of Cement Pastes with Siliceous Fly Ash and the CSH Nano-Admixture”
Szostak, B.; Golewski, G.L.
Materials 2021, 14(13), 3640. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14133640
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/13/3640

7. “Current Applications of Recycled Aggregates from Construction and Demolition: A Review”
Reis, G.S.d.; Quattrone, M.; Ambrós, W.M.; Grigore Cazacliu, B.; Hoffmann Sampaio, C.
Materials 2021, 14(7), 1700. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14071700
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/7/1700

8. “Clay Ceramic Waste as Pozzolan Constituent in Cement for Structural Concrete”
Barreto, E.d.S.; Stafanato, K.V.; Marvila, M.T.; de Azevedo, A.R.G.; Ali, M.; Pereira, R.M.L.; Monteiro, S.N.
Materials 2021, 14(11), 2917. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14112917
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/11/2917

9. “Palm Oil Fuel Ash-Based Eco-Efficient Concrete: A Critical Review of the Short-Term Properties”
Amran, M.; Murali, G.; Fediuk, R.; Vatin, N.; Vasilev, Y.; Abdelgader, H.
Materials 2021, 14(2), 332. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14020332
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/2/332

10. “Uniaxial Tensile Behavior, Flexural Properties, Empirical Calculation and Microstructure of Multi-Scale Fiber Reinforced Cement-Based Material at Elevated Temperature”
Li, L.; Khan, M.; Bai, C.; Shi, K.
Materials 2021, 14(8), 1827. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14081827
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/8/1827

1. “The Bad and the Good—Microorganisms in Cultural Heritage Environments—An Update on Biodeterioration and Biotreatment Approaches”
Pyzik, A.; Ciuchcinski, K.; Dziurzynski, M.; Dziewit, L.
Materials 2021, 14(1), 177. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14010177
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/1/177

2. “Chitosan-Based Nanocomposite Polymeric Membranes for Water Purification—A Review”
Spoială, A.; Ilie, C.-I.; Ficai, D.; Ficai, A.; Andronescu, E.
Materials 2021, 14(9), 2091. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14092091
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/9/2091

3. “Synthetic, Mesomorphic, and DFT Investigations of New Nematogenic Polar Naphthyl Benzoate Ester Derivatives”
Al-Zahrani, S.A.; Ahmed, H.A.; El-atawy, M.A.; Abu Al-Ola, K.A.; Omar, A.Z.
Materials 2021, 14(10), 2587. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14102587
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/10/2587

4. “Ion-Imprinted Polymers: Synthesis, Characterization, and Adsorption of Radionuclides”
Kusumkar, V.V.; Galamboš, M.; Viglašová, E.; Daňo, M.; Šmelková, J.
Materials 2021, 14(5), 1083. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14051083
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/5/1083

5. “Polysaccharide-Based Aerogel Production for Biomedical Applications: A Comparative Review”
Guastaferro, M.; Reverchon, E.; Baldino, L.
Materials 2021, 14(7), 1631. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14071631
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/7/1631

6. “Polyelectrolyte Multilayers: An Overview on Fabrication, Properties, and Biomedical and Environmental Applications”
Petrila, L.-M.; Bucatariu, F.; Mihai, M.; Teodosiu, C.
Materials 2021, 14(15), 4152. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14154152
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/15/4152

7. “Alkali Activation of Metallurgical Slags: Reactivity, Chemical Behavior, and Environmental Assessment”
Lancellotti, I.; Piccolo, F.; Traven, K.; Češnovar, M.; Ducman, V.; Leonelli, C.
Materials 2021, 14(3), 639. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14030639
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/3/639

8. “Processability and Mechanical Properties of Thermoplastic Polylactide/Polyhydroxybutyrate (PLA/PHB) Bioblends”
Olejnik, O.; Masek, A.; Zawadziłło, J.
Materials 2021, 14(4), 898. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14040898
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/4/898

9. “Recent Advancements in Plastic Packaging Recycling: A Mini-Review”
Beghetto, V.; Sole, R.; Buranello, C.; Al-Abkal, M.; Facchin, M.
Materials 2021, 14(17), 4782. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14174782
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/17/4782

10. “Potential for and Distribution of Enzymatic Biodegradation of Polystyrene by Environmental Microorganisms”
Hou, L.; Majumder, E.L.-W.
Materials 2021, 14(3), 503. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma14030503
Full text available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/3/503

We are pleased to announce a new project of Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944)—Special Issue Development Program.

The program aims to provide early-career scientists with the opportunity to develop a Special Issue and experience the academic editor's role under the mentorship of an experienced scientist.

What you will receive from a Special Issue Development Program:

• A Guest Editor certificate;
• A platform to collect papers on a certain topic;
• Guidance from experienced scientists from Materials;
• More editorial experience and the opportunity to enrich your resume.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please send your Special Issue proposal to the Materials Editorial Office (materials@mdpi.com) or submit the proposal at the following link: https://www.mdpi.com/journalproposal/sendproposalspecialissue/materials. We will then discuss our potential collaboration and how the process works in detail.

In addition to the new Special Issue Development Program, Materials continues to welcome Special Issue proposals based on hot research topics.

The Materials 2022 Travel Award closed for applications at the end of 2021. The applications were processed by the Evaluation Committee, lead by the Editor-in-Chief of Materials (ISSN: 1996-1944). We are pleased to announce the winners:

The winners will each be awarded CHF 800 and a certificate. On behalf of the Evaluation Committee, we would like to congratulate the winners on their accomplishments.

1. “Brief History of Early Lithium-Battery Development”
Reddy, M.V.; Mauger, A.; Julien, C.M.; Paolella, A.; Zaghib, K.
Materials 2020, 13(8), 1884; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13081884
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/13/8/1884

2. “Using Deep Learning to Detect Defects in Manufacturing: A Comprehensive Survey and Current Challenges”
Yang, J.; Li, S.; Wang, Z.; Dong, H.; Wang, J.; Tang, S.
Materials 2020, 13(24), 5755; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13245755
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/13/24/5755

3. “Face Masks and Respirators in the Fight Against the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Review of Current Materials, Advances and Future Perspectives”
O’Dowd, K.; Nair, K.M.; Forouzandeh, P.; Mathew, S.; Grant, J.; Moran, R.; Bartlett, J.; Bird, J.; Pillai, S.C.
Materials 2020, 13(15), 3363; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13153363
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/13/15/3363

4. “Dendrimers as Pharmaceutical Excipients: Synthesis, Properties, Toxicity and Biomedical Applications”
Santos, A.; Veiga, F.; Figueiras, A.
Materials 2020, 13(1), 65; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13010065
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/13/1/65

5. “On the Vibrations and Stability of Moving Viscoelastic Axially Functionally Graded Nanobeams”
Shariati, A.; Jung, D.w.; Mohammad-Sedighi, H.; Żur, K.K.; Habibi, M.; Safa, M.
Materials 2020, 13(7), 1707; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13071707
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/13/7/1707

6. “Recent Trends in the Use of Pectin from Agro-Waste Residues as a Natural-Based Biopolymer for Food Packaging Applications”
Mellinas, C.; Ramos, M.; Jiménez, A.; Garrigós, M.C.
Materials 2020, 13(3), 673; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13030673
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/13/3/673

7. “The Interfacial Adhesion Performance and Mechanism of a Modified Asphalt–Steel Slag Aggregate”
Liu, W.; Li, H.; Zhu, H.; Xu, P.
Materials 2020, 13(5), 1180; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13051180
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/13/5/1180

8. “Progress and Status of Hydrometallurgical and Direct Recycling of Li-Ion Batteries and Beyond”
Larouche, F.; Tedjar, F.; Amouzegar, K.; Houlachi, G.; Bouchard, P.; Demopoulos, G.P.; Zaghib, K.
Materials 2020, 13(3), 801; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13030801
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/13/3/801

9. “Methods of Gold and Silver Nanoparticles Preparation”
Slepička, P.; Slepičková Kasálková, N.; Siegel, J.; Kolská, Z.; Švorčík, V.
Materials 2020, 13(1), 1; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13010001
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/13/1/1

10. “Based on Single-Layer Complementary Gammadion-Shaped Graphene”
Chen, F.; Cheng, Y.; Luo, H.
Materials 2020, 13(4), 860; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma13040860
Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/13/4/860