Announcements

With sadness, we regret to inform you about the passing of Prof. Dr. Ronald W. Armstrong, Editorial Board Member and Guest Editor of Crystals and Metals. We are grateful for his many contributions to the journals and the legacy his research has left in the academic world.

Prof. Dr. Ronald W. Armstrong was a Professor Emeritus at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, A. James Clark School of Engineering, University of Maryland, College Park, MD, USA. He received his Ph.D. degree from Carnegie Mellon University in 1958, and he finished his postdoctoral studies at Leeds University, UK, in 1959. His work focused on dislocation mechanics, constitutive equations, Hall–Petch relations, Zerilli–Armstrong equations, microstructural stereology, high-rate metal deformations, ductile–brittle transition behaviors, and X-ray diffraction imaging. 

His work was recognized with a significant number of honors and awards:

• AIME Robert Lansing Hardy Gold Medal for 1962;
• Senior Fulbright–Hays Fellow, New Zealand, 1974;
• NATO Advanced Study Institute Lecturer, England, 1979, and Crete, 1985;
• Who's Who in America, 1982‑89;
• Liaison Scientist, Office of Naval Research‑London, UK, 1982‑1984 and 1991;
• Visiting Research Fellow, now Life Member, Clare Hall, Univ. Cambridge, UK, 1984;
• Symposium in Honor of Professor Ronald W. Armstrong, Dynamic Deformation;
• Constitutive Modeling, Grain Size, and Other Effects, TMS 2003, 132nd Annual Meeting and Exhibition, 3/2-6/2003, San Diego, CA; see Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 35A, 2545-2745 (2004);
• DYMAT John Rinehart Award, 2015;
• Invited to present/publish more than 50 technical papers in symposia, published in more than 400 technical journal and symposium publications.

We wish to express our deepest condolences to his family and colleagues.

Crystals and Metals Editorial Offices

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 (newjournal-committee@mdpi.com) 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.

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 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 delighted to inform you that Metals (ISSN: 2075-4701) has received an updated CiteScore of 4.4, an increase of 16% compared with the 2021 metric. The 2022 CiteScore™ was released recently, which assessed the scientific influence of journals in the 2019–2022 period.

Metals’ CiteScore ranks as follows:

• Q1 (41 out of 164 journals) in the "Metals and Alloys" category;
• Q2 (206 out of 453 journals) in the "General Materials Science" category.

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

On 25 May 2023, MDPI and the journal Metals (ISSN: 2075-4701) organized the webinar Nano-Alloys. The webinar focused on the recent advances in the study of the properties and applications of nano-alloy materials, in addition to their opportunities and challenges.

Nano-alloy is a broad term used to describe a nanoparticle made of two or more metallic chemical elements. The research field of nano-alloys is growing along many fronts, ranging from theory and synthesis, analysis, and characterization to applications in catalysis, materials science, optics, electronics, and magnetics. The expected impact of nano-alloys on current and future technology and on society is comparable to that of metals in the history of civilization. At the bulk scale, interest in alloys arises since they have different physical and chemical properties compared to their individual constitutive elements. In addition to this composition dependence, they are on the nanoscale and have three additional knobs of freedom, i.e., size, morphology, and segregation/ordering, playing a major role in the properties of the nano-alloy. In this context, this webinar will focus on recent advances in the study of the properties and applications of nano-alloy materials, in addition to their opportunities and challenges.

You can watch the recorded webinar below:

Webinar Chair and Keynote Speakers:

• Prof. Dr. Gregory Guisbiers, Department of Physics & Astronomy, University of Arkansas at Little Rock, USA;
• Prof. Dr. Miguel Jose-Yacaman, Department of Applied Physics & Materials Science, Northern Arizona University, USA;
• Prof. Konstantin Neyman, ICREA, University of Barcelona, Spain;
• Prof. Dr. Vincenzo Amendola, Department of Chemical Sciences, University of Padova, Italy.

We are pleased to announce the winners of the Metals 2022 Outstanding Reviewer Award. The Metals Editorial Board and editorial team would like to gratefully acknowledge the time and energy dedicated by reviewers in checking the manuscripts submitted to Metals. It is due to their efforts that the high quality of the journal and quick turnaround are maintained.

There are two winners this year, Dr. Wolfgang Löser and Prof. Dr. Weimin Wang, and here is a short interview with Prof. Dr. Weimin Wang.

Photograph for SEM test

Prof. Dr. Weimin Wang is a professor at the College of Materials Science and Engineering and Key Laboratory of Liquid–Solid Structural Evolution and Processing of Materials, Shandong University, China. His research interests include glassy alloys, computation science in materials and electrochemistry in metals. He has published 150 papers in international journals.

My current research focuses on Fe-based and Al-based glassy alloys. The project includes the effect of pulse laser processing on crystallization and corrosion resistance of Fe-based glassy alloys, the effects of DC Joule heating on corrosion resistance and magnetic anisotropy of Fe₇₈Si₉B₁₃ amorphous alloys, effects of the stress field on the structure and properties of Al₈₆Ni₉La₅ amorphous alloy, and the structural, magnetic anisotropy and crystallization behavior after external field treatments of Fe-based amorphous alloys. This work tried to discover the external fields of glassy alloys and tried to search for some new strategies to improve their functional properties.

My work also involves the electrochemical behavior of Fe-based glassy alloy in alkaline solution and the effect of magnetic field on its corrosion resistance, insight into the backbone structure and corrosion properties of Al-Ni-RE amorphous alloys on solute elements addition, and the effects of cooling rate and solution concentration on corrosion resistance of Fe-based amorphous alloys. These works mainly use electrochemical analysis and try to discover new methods for passivating metallic alloys.

In short, the microstructure and properties of metallic alloys are my interests.

2. Which research topics do you think are of particular interest to the research community in the coming years?

(1) Magnetic materials. With the continuous development of the power electronics industry, the trend of miniaturization, integration, and high efficiency has put forward higher requirements for the soft magnetic properties of magnetic materials. Traditional soft magnetic materials, such as silicon steel and ferrite, cannot combine low-loss characteristics at high frequencies with high saturation magnetic induction. New amorphous and nanocrystalline soft magnetic materials, as a newly emerging metal material in recent years, have become an ideal choice for preparing a new generation of high frequency and high-efficiency motor materials due to their unique comprehensive soft magnetic properties such as high resistivity, low coercivity, high saturation magnetic susceptibility, and corrosion resistance.

(2) Metallic powders. The powder metallurgy industry has developed rapidly, and the production of metal powders has increased year by year. With the advantages of low cost, high degree of freedom of alloy composition, fast cooling rate, large-scale production, and excellent comprehensive powder performance, atomization has been able to account for over 80% of the current total powder production. It is one of the ideal processes for preparing fine amorphous powders.

(3) High entropy alloys. Traditional alloy design concepts combine one or two primary elements with secondary elements to produce many combinations. Related work has reached the bottleneck period. In the pursuit of alloys with special microstructure and properties such as high strength, new design concepts such as high entropy alloys (HEAs) have emerged. It is usually composed of at least 5 main elements, each of which has an atomic content of 5 to 35 at%. High entropy alloys have simple random solid solutions rather than ordered and/or intermetallic compound phases, such as disordered face-centered cubic (fcc, A1), disordered body-centered cubic (bcc, A2), ordered fcc (L12), ordered bcc (B2), and hexagonal close-packed (hcp, A3). It has unique properties different from traditional alloys: high strength and hardness, unique magnetism, superior corrosion and oxidation resistance, super high fatigue strength, good tribological properties, good high temperature softening and creep resistance, excellent radiation resistance, high thermal stability, and superior low-temperature mechanical properties.

3. Have you ever encountered any difficulties while conducting research? How did you overcome them?

The first difficulty is the shortage of funding. Just after defending my Ph.D. degree, I obtained a position at my university where I finished my Ph.D. degree. I am lucky because I have not had to join the job market and apply for positions by mailing my CV. But the funding is difficult for me to reach. I remember that the starting support of our university is only RMB 10,000, and a new computer costs half of that. Since then, I have had to apply for various government foundations and try to contact companies.

During this difficult time, I applied for a post-doctoral program at Nanjing University and Humboldt Foundation in Germany. After that, I obtained funding from the NSFC committee and other departments. However, the second difficulty arises in my research life.

The second one is how to work with graduate students. Firstly, the number of students is not enough. In some years, I do not have even one student entering my group. Every fall, I am worried about newcomers. In addition, after new students join my group, how to work with them is not easy to answer.

In short, the difficulties also bring much happiness to my life.

Young scientists should first have a good theoretical foundation, and their university and postgraduate study is of great importance. Mathematics, physical concepts, and computation coding are very important for exploring detailed projects.

At the same time, they should have good communication skills with their colleagues and students. When entering the workplace, knowing how to obtain effective information from friends, partners, colleagues, and peers and improving their academic level is very important.

In addition, a kind of persistence and perseverance help develop an academic style; this growth is very important, but it is very difficult.

Open access (OA) journals have an increasing tendency for advanced publishing groups because they are quick, highly efficient, broadly spreadable, and of large volume. OA has many positive impacts on the authors: its quickness, authors can get efficient feedback from the referees and adjust their research routines on time. For my students, the quick and high-level reviewing comments are very helpful for the next work. As we know, the length of time that it takes for a student to undergo a Ph.D. is three years, which is not that long and is mixed with other things. A quick response from the OA journal is needed for Ph.D. candidates.

The large volume is also advanced. In China, the volume of postgraduate students is increasing every year, and many universities require publishing records. Hence, the supply and demand are matching the increasing speed.

There is also a shortage of OA journals. Sometimes they focus on the profits rather than the quality. Such phenomena are adjusted by the self-cleaning characteristics of academic society.

We are pleased to announce that the winner of the Metals 2023 Young Investigator Award—Dr. João Pedro Oliveira.

Dr. João Pedro Oliveira is an assistant professor at the Department of Materials Science at Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Caparica, Portugal. Dr. Oliveira’s research interests focus on using advanced manufacturing technologies (welding and additive manufacturing) and advanced characterization techniques (such as SEM, TEM, and synchrotron X-ray diffraction) to link the microstructural characteristics of processed metals with their functional and thermomechanical behavior. Dr. Oliveira received his Ph.D. in 2016 and has an outstanding publication record. The impact of his research group can be measured by the number and scholarly impact of their publications, as reflected by a Scopus H-index of 43. He is regarded as an influential and promising contributor to the field of materials science and engineering. As a single applicant, Dr. Oliveira was also able to attract significant funding for research. Moreover, he is the principal investigator and coordinator of the ongoing European project on wire and arc additive manufacturing that has received EUR 1.7 million in funding. This is an outstanding achievement in today’s competitive environment.

Please join us in congratulating Dr. João Pedro Oliveira for his outstanding achievements.

We would like to thank the award committee for their excellent work in the difficult task of selecting a winner from such a large number of excellent candidates. We would also like to thank all the nominees from various fields for their participation. We will continue to reward young scientists with the Young Investigator Award and wish them every success in their careers.

The following is a short Q&A with Dr. João Pedro Oliveira:

My name is João Pedro Oliveira, and I am currently working as an assistant professor of materials science at Universidade NOVA de Lisboa, Portugal. I completed my Ph.D. on laser welding of shape memory alloys at NOVA in 2016 with Professor Braz Fernandes and Professor Rosa Miranda, where I spent a part of my time at the University of Waterloo, Canada, with Professor Norman Zhou. Then I moved to Ohio State University, USA, to work with Professor Antonio Ramirez as a postdoctoral researcher. Finally, I moved back to NOVA to be a faculty member there.

In my free time, I enjoy running a lot, especially in the mountains, and spending time with my family.

2. What is your current research and why did you choose this research field?

I started conducting research on the welding of shape memory alloys because I won a scholarship. I was immediately hooked because of the unusual properties of these materials. I then proceeded to a Ph.D. on this topic and was able to make my own path on evaluating the weldability and processability of novel shape memory alloys. My research interests in terms of materials selection have always been based on how interesting (or weird) the materials are. That is why my focus is on shape memory and high entropy alloys, because the alloy classes are so different from conventional engineering alloys. I am also very fond of using synchrotron radiation as a unique way to probe the microstructure and properties of my materials, so synchrotron-related data are often found in my work.

The field of welding and additive manufacturing appears because I like to be involved in a lab and try some processing myself when I have some spare time.

3. Have you ever encountered any difficulties while conducting research? How did you overcome them?

As a Ph.D. student, I did not have all the facilities for both processing and advanced characterization that I required to perform in-depth work. I overcame this by looking for potential collaborations. This worked out very well and some of these collaborators are now even my personal friends. There were times during my Ph.D. where I would be very frustrated because my first paper was not approved or accepted by editors. I was 2 years into my Ph.D. and had not published any papers. That was tough. However, a little over a year after my Ph.D. defense, I had by then published more than 10 papers, several of which were in leading journals. So, the takeaway is that publishing takes time. I had spent a lot of time trying to perfect my writing and communication skills and this helped me a lot in getting published. Now, publishing a large number of papers is no longer a standard. The quality of the papers published is indeed the key factor by which Ph.D. students should be evaluated on.

That being said, sometimes it is better to have fewer papers but more in-depth discussions, rather than breaking a potential good work into several low impact ones.

4. What qualities do you think young scientists need?

Ph.D. students must be curious. Why does "this" work and how can we explain "this" that we are observing? Can we formulate some hypothesis and validate it? If yes, can we transmit this information to others in a clear and easy way?

Ph.D. students should also try to find their own path. Sometimes this may take more support from their supervisor, and sometimes this is not really needed. A healthy and open student–supervisor relationship is also fundamental. Sometimes, Ph.D. students struggle in silence, especially if they are away from home, and some words of comfort or an opportunity to vent can make the difference between good or bad mental health.

More importantly, from time to time, stop and enjoy the ride. This will likely be the time in your life where you can follow your research (or other) interests in a low-pressure environment.

5. Can you briefly describe the key to a happy laboratory life?

I think my lab is quite happy. We are a multicultural group (students from Portugal, Brazil, China, and India) and I make sure that they work together whenever suitable. This allows them to gain more knowledge of adjacent topics that may be useful for them. I also try to have them collaborate with other labs and even visit them. Aside from giving them exposure to other work environments, it also shows them that no matter where, there are always good and bad factors in a research environment.

6. As the winner of this award, is there something you want to express, or someone to thank most?

This award is only possible because research is a team effort in most cases. So, I have to thank my students and colleagues for putting in the time when we are doing experimental work and writing papers. Special acknowledgements to my wife Susana for supporting me as well.

We are pleased to announce the winner of the Metals 2022 Best Ph.D. Thesis Award. This award is for a Ph.D. student or recently qualified researcher who has produced a highly anticipated thesis with impressive academic potential.

The award has been granted to the following thesis:
“Computational and experimental thermo-mechanics of metal additive manufacturing: stress, warpage, cracks and properties” by Xufei Lu, Technical University of Catalonia (UPC), Spain.

The winner will receive CHF 800, a certificate, and a chance to publish a paper free of charge after peer review in Metals in 2023.

We congratulate Dr. Xufei Lu on his accomplishments. We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the applicants for submitting their exceptional theses and the Award Committee for voting, and supporting this award.

Dr. Xufei Lu is an accomplished post-doctoral researcher at the International Centre for Numerical Methods in Engineering (CIMNE), Polytechnical University of Catalonia, located in Spain. He completed his master's degree in materials science and engineering at Northwestern Polytechnical University in China from 2016 to 2019, and later went on to pursue his Ph.D. in structural analysis at UPC. Dr. Lu successfully defended his thesis with a mark of Excellent Cum Laude in 2022. Dr. Lu's research focus is metallic additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, and he has been studying this area since 2016. His research interests in AM cover a wide range of topics. Dr. Lu specializes in the numerical simulation of thermo-microstructural–mechanical evolution during the AM of metallic materials, especially the formation mechanisms of residual stresses, part warpages, and cracks for metal AM, as well as the corresponding control strategies. He has also studied the design and optimization of microstructures and macro geometric structures of AM builds and substrates for fabricating high-quality AM parts. Dr. Lu has published over 30 papers in reputed international journals, which have received more than 800 citations. He has also been a reviewer for prestigious international journals such as Additive Manufacturing, Materials & Design, Additive Manufacturing Letters, Journal of Thermal Stresses, and 3D Printing and Additive Manufacturing.

The following is an interview with Dr. Xufei Lu:

1. What’s your current research and why did you choose this research field?
My current research is on the numerical simulation of thermal–metallurgical–mechanical behavior during the additive manufacturing processes of metallic materials.
Additive manufacturing (AM) is a rapidly growing area of manufacturing that allows for the creation of complex shapes and geometries that would be difficult or impossible to achieve with traditional manufacturing methods. In AM, a digital model of the object to be printed is created, and this is then sliced into thin layers. The printer then builds up the object by depositing material layer by layer until the entire object is complete. The materials used in AM can include plastics, metals, ceramics, and composites. Applications of AM include prototyping, tooling, and end-use parts in a range of industries, including aerospace, automotive, healthcare, and consumer goods. AM is becoming popular in industry due to its advantages including:
Design flexibility: AM allows for complex geometries and designs that were previously impossible with traditional manufacturing techniques. This means that engineers and designers can create parts that are more lightweight, efficient, and customized to the application.
Faster prototyping: AM can quickly produce prototypes of new parts or products, allowing engineers and designers to test and refine their designs more quickly and efficiently.
Reduced waste: Traditional manufacturing techniques often produce a significant amount of waste; however, AM can reduce waste by only using the necessary amount of material to create a part.
Lower costs for small production runs: AM can be more cost-effective for producing small batches of parts, as it eliminates the need for expensive tooling or molds.
Improved supply chain efficiency: AM can be used to produce parts on demand, reducing the need for large inventories, and streamlining the supply chain.
Hence, I chose this field as my study topic.

2. Have you ever encountered any difficulties when conducting research? How did you overcome them?
For sure. It is very common to experience failure when conducting research, such as technical challenges, time constraints, and unexpected results. My solutions are collaborating with other researchers, seeking help from mentors or colleagues, staying persistent, thinking creatively, and adapting to changes.

3. What qualities do you think young scientists need?
I think young scientists need to develop the following qualities:
Curiosity: Young scientists should have a strong desire to learn and explore new ideas, concepts, and technologies.
Creativity: The ability to think outside the box and come up with innovative solutions is critical for scientific breakthroughs.
Persistence: Science often involves setbacks and failures, and young scientists must be persistent in the face of challenges.
Strong work ethic: Successful scientists are typically hardworking and committed to their research.
Effective communication skills: Good communication skills are essential for sharing research findings, collaborating with other scientists, and securing funding.
Adaptability: The ability to adapt to new situations and work effectively in a variety of settings is important for scientists who work on interdisciplinary teams or in different laboratory environments.
Attention to detail: Science often involves complex data sets, and young scientists must be able to pay attention to details and ensure accuracy in their work.
Open-mindedness: Young scientists should be open to constructive criticism and new ideas, and be willing to revise their hypotheses or approaches if necessary.
Passion: Lastly, a passion for science is essential for a successful career in research. A love of discovery and the pursuit of knowledge can drive young scientists to make significant contributions to their fields.

4. As Metals is an Open Access journal, how do you think Open Access impacts the authors?
I think Open Access publishing has a significant impact on authors, as follows:
Increased visibility and impact: Open Access publishing makes research articles easily accessible to a global audience, increasing the visibility and reach of the research. As a result, it can lead to greater citation rates and impact on the research field.
Greater dissemination of research: Open Access publishing enables authors to reach a wider audience without the restrictions of subscription-based journals. The research can be accessed by anyone, including researchers, academics, policymakers, practitioners, and the general public, leading to the greater dissemination of research findings.
More opportunities for collaboration: Open Access publishing can facilitate collaboration between researchers from different disciplines and institutions, leading to a more significant exchange of knowledge and ideas.
Better compliance with funding agency requirements: Many funding agencies now require grantees to publish their research in Open Access journals, making it easier for authors to comply with these requirements.
In summary, Open Access publishing provides authors with a range of benefits, including greater visibility, dissemination, collaboration, and compliance with funding agency requirements, among others.

5. Would you like to share your experience with the journal Metals and why you decided to apply for the Best Ph.D. Thesis Award?
Metals is a prestigious international journal dedicated to publishing high-quality scientific research and technology development related to all kinds of metals. The journal provides a forum for publishing papers that advance the in-depth understanding of the relationship between processing, structure, and properties or functions of metals. As an author, I have found Metals to be an ideal platform to publish my research work, and I am proud to say that I have published three papers in this esteemed journal.
I frequently browse the Metals webpage to read interesting publications and stay up to date with the latest research in the field. When I discovered the opportunity to apply for the award, I decided to submit my work for consideration. Winning the award came as a pleasant surprise to me, and I am grateful for the recognition of my work by Metals.

6. As the winner of this award, is there something you want to express, or someone to thank most?
I would like to express my sincere gratitude to my supervisors Prof. Michele Chiumenti and Prof. Miguel Cerverafor, for the trust they put in me since the beginning and for their insightful guidance and full support. My supervisors gave me the freedom and all the support needed during my master’s degree and doctoral studies. Their knowledge and passion for science drove me beyond my limits and made the completion of this project possible.
I also want to thank my colleagues for their help and strong support during the whole research process.
Lastly, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to the Metals journal for awarding me the Metals 2022 Best Ph.D. Thesis Award. It is a great honor to be recognized for my hard work and dedication to this field of research.