Sustainable Materials and Methodologies Applied to the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage

Dear Colleagues,

The conservation and restoration of cultural heritage increasingly require sustainable materials and methodologies capable of balancing scientific rigor, minimal intervention, and long-term preservation. Advances in materials science, analytical technologies, and diagnostic tools have enabled the development of environmentally responsible, non-invasive, and reproducible approaches for the study and treatment of cultural heritage assets.

This Special Issue aims to publish original research articles and review papers focused on sustainable materials and methodologies applied to the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage. Particular emphasis will be placed on material compatibility, durability, performance assessment, and environmentally conscious solutions that support informed decision-making in conservation practice.

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

• Sustainable and eco-friendly materials for conservation and restoration;
• Cleaning, consolidation, stabilization, reintegration, and protective treatments;
• Evaluation of the effectiveness and long-term behavior of conservation interventions;
• Non-invasive and minimally invasive analytical and diagnostic techniques;
• Advanced imaging, spectral, and monitoring methodologies;
• Conservation of archeological remains, mural paintings, graphic documents, books, ceramics, stone, and sculptural heritage;
• Interdisciplinary approaches combining materials science, chemistry, physics, engineering, and conservation practice.

This Special Issue will provide a platform for high-quality research promoting conservation strategies that are effective, sustainable, and respectful of cultural heritage, the environment, and the professionals involved in its study and preservation.

Dr. Rosario Blanc
Dr. Ana María López-Montes
Dr. Ana Isabel Calero-Castillo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.