Construction and Applications in Functional Polymers

Dear Colleagues,

Functional polymers have gained enormous attention in recent decades owing to their great potential in delivering a wide range of functionalities, e.g., electrical conductivity, strain sensing, thermal conductivity, thermoelectric property, dielectric property, electromagnetic shielding, and microwave absorption. These functionalities are largely determined by the physicochemical properties of functional fillers (i.e., size and shape of fillers) and their network morphology in polymer matrices. Functional polymer materials are a current research hotspot and they are being gradually developed in terms of intelligence, with modifications such as self-healing and stimuli-responsive materials. Functional polymers are applied in many fields, such as flexible electronics, superhydrophobic coatings, drug delivery, tissue engineering, medical devices, food packaging, sensors, actuators, optoelectronics, organic light-emitting diodes, thin-film transistors, batteries, waste water treatment, antifouling, etc.

Functional polymer materials can be constructed on the molecular level with functional groups and/or by introducing functional fillers into materials. Apart from various organic synthesis and polymerization methods, special processing, additive manufacturing, lithography, self-assembly, supramolecular chemistry, and dynamic cross-linking are newly arising technologies that contribute to the construction of functional polymer materials. Their potential applications are widely covered in machinery, information technology, biomedicine, and other fields.

This Special Issue on “Construction and Applications in Functional Polymers” is devoted to showcasing the most recent research in this interdisciplinary field, covering the latest advances in the design, synthesis, and applications of functional polymer materials. Both high-quality original research articles and comprehensive reviews on cutting-edge developments are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Zhu Long
Dr. Pengxiang Si
Guest Editors

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