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Advanced Biomaterial Characterization Techniques: Spectroscopy and Electron Microscopy Analysis

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Advanced Materials Characterization".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2026 | Viewed by 500

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
State Research Institute Center for Physical Sciences and Technology, Department of Electrical Engineering, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Vilnius, Lithuania
Interests: scanning probe microscopies; materials for high-performance biofuel cells; conductive polymers; artificial mediators; materials for anode and cathode
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Rapid advances in biomaterial research have resulted in a high demand for equally advanced analytical tools to understand structure–property relationships, biological interactions, and long-term material performance. Among these tools, spectroscopy and electron microscopy techniques play central roles by enabling the high-resolution, multidimensional, and often nanoscale characterization required for modern biomaterial development.

This Special Issue aims to highlight recent progress, emerging methodologies, and innovative applications of spectroscopy and electron microscopy for the study of biomaterials. Contributions that introduce new analytical workflows; provide deeper mechanistic insights; or demonstrate how state-of-the-art characterization techniques are especially welcome to guide the design of next-generation biomaterials.

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

  • Spectroscopic techniques for biomaterials characterization (FTIR, Raman, NMR, XPS, UV-Vis, EELS, etc.).
  • Electron microscopy methods (SEM, TEM, Cryo-TEM, STEM, FIB-SEM, and tomography) for structural and morphological analysis.
  • Correlative microscopy and multimodal imaging approaches.
  • Surface chemistry, topography, and interface analysis.
  • In situ, operando, and real-time characterization of biomaterial behavior.
  • Structural characterization of polymers, hydrogels, composites, bioactive ceramics, metals, and nanomaterials.
  • Imaging and spectroscopic studies of cell–material and tissue–material interactions.
  • Quantitative image analysis, machine learning, and automation in biomaterials characterization.
  • Advanced sample preparation methods for biological and hybrid materials.
  • Case studies linking characterization results to material design, performance, or clinical translation.

Dr. Inga Morkvenaite-Vilkonciene
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • biomaterials
  • spectroscopy
  • electron microscopy
  • SEM
  • TEM
  • surface characterization
  • nanoscale imaging
  • correlative analysis
  • biointerfaces
  • materials–biology interactions

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

24 pages, 23823 KB  
Article
Multiphysical Characterization of a Tissue-Mimicking Phantom: Composition, Thermal Behavior, and Broadband Electromagnetic Properties from Visible to Terahertz and Microwave Frequencies
by Erick Reyes-Vera, Carlos Furnieles, Camilo Zapata Hernandez, Jorge Montoya-Cardona, Paula Ortiz-Santana, Juan Botero-Valencia and Javier Araque
Materials 2026, 19(5), 931; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma19050931 - 28 Feb 2026
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Abstract
A water-rich muscle-equivalent tissue-mimicking phantom within a polymeric matrix was experimentally evaluated through a multimodal characterization methodology to determine whether it reproduces the coupled dielectric–thermal behavior of hydrated biological tissue under exposure to electromagnetic waves. The material was analyzed using thermogravimetric analysis, microwave [...] Read more.
A water-rich muscle-equivalent tissue-mimicking phantom within a polymeric matrix was experimentally evaluated through a multimodal characterization methodology to determine whether it reproduces the coupled dielectric–thermal behavior of hydrated biological tissue under exposure to electromagnetic waves. The material was analyzed using thermogravimetric analysis, microwave dielectric spectroscopy from 1.5 to 4.0 GHz, VIS–NIR spectroscopy between 350 and 1200 nm, and terahertz time-domain reflection. The thermogravimetric results confirmed dominant water content, with primary mass loss below 200 °C, establishing hydration as the governing factor of its thermal response. Next, the microwave dielectric measurements show that the phantom exhibits a relative permittivity of 37.4 and an electrical conductivity of 2.4 S/m. On the other hand, the VIS–NIR spectra show smooth broadband absorption with limited spatial variability, and principal component analysis reveals macroscopic optical homogeneity without structural spectral distortion. In the THz regime, strong broadband attenuation characteristic of water-rich matrices is observed, and reflection-mode measurements enable robust assessment of temporal stability through time- and frequency-domain signatures. Finally, a microwave thermal validation demonstrates stable behavior under low-power excitation, whereas under hyperthermia-level irradiation, a significant thermal drift of −3.985 °C/h was reached under non-adiabatic conditions, identifying hydration-mediated moisture redistribution as the principal limitation during prolonged high-power exposure. Collectively, these results demonstrate cross-regime dielectric–thermal consistency while explicitly defining the hydration-driven constraints governing long-term stability, providing a validated reference material for broadband electromagnetic and thermal biomedical experimentation. Full article
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