Surface Treatment and Functionalization of Metal Materials: Electrochemical, Catalytic, Bioactivity, Corrosion and Wear Behaviour

Dear Colleagues,

Metal materials are extremely versatile in terms of application, allowing combination of bulk properties with different surface properties through functionalization and surface treatment. The development of new processes of functionalization and treatment of metallic surfaces seeks to meet demands for improvement and optimization of properties such as wear and corrosion resistance for increasingly challenging applications in various areas that employ metallic material.  Furthermore, when properties such as improved biocompatibility are required for biomedical applications, surface treatment allows the modification of the alloy surface to optimise the performance of the material according to the required characteristics (this is dependent on the application). Surfaces with photocatalytic properties supported on metallic materials have also been developed, and environmentally friendly processes are being proposed, observing issues related to sustainability and cost of the raw materials.

The use of surface treatment processes to obtain materials for alternative energy production, for example, provides a very important technological perspective in this area. In this sense, advanced functionalization processes such as plasma electrolytic oxidation and low-pressure cold plasma (plasma polymerization) have been studied, as well as processes such as nitriding, sputtering and ion implantation, in addition to conventional processes of electrodeposition and anodization.

This Special Issue of Metals focuses on surface treatment and functionalization of metal materials and intends to collect the latest developments in electrochemical, catalytic, bioactivity, corrosion, tribocorrosion and wear behaviour of metal materials, as well as environmentally friendly processes to treat or recover metal materials. Original research articles and reviews are welcome.

Prof. Dr. Célia de Fraga Malfatti
Guest Editor

Dr. Claudia Beatriz Dos Santos
Assistant Guest Editor

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. Metals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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.