Novel Functional Materials: Design, Modeling and Characterization

Dear Colleagues,

Lowering the energy consumption and environmental impact of chemical transformation and energy conversion, where functional materials play vital roles, is the long-standing “Holy Grail” of research in many fields, including materials chemistry. The efficiency of the most commonly used processes for chemical transformation and energy conversion relies strongly on the functional materials used, such as the catalysts utilized for the efficient activation of substrates for the controlled formation and release of expected products and the energy absorber/storage/converter needed to absorb, convert, and store energy into desired forms, such as light, electricity, heat, chemical energy, etc., for further applications.

Apart from the design of new functional materials with superior performance, the optimization of procedures for controlled synthesis and an improved performance of widely used functional materials are of equal significance. New characterization techniques are emerging which not only make previously impossible characterizations routine but also provide greater insight, i.e. structural information at the sub-Angstrom and femtosecond scales and performance characterizations under operando conditions. The fast development of chemical theory and IT technologies also ease the buildup of structure–performance correlations and accelerate the design and performance prediction of novel functional materials.

This Special Issue of Molecules provides a forum for the dissemination of the most recent experimental and theoretical findings on the design, fabrication, characterization, and application of functional materials. We welcome the submission of research and review articles on the advances in new materials/chemistries in the field of functional materials.

Dr. Xin Liu
Dr. Huimin Guo
Guest Editors

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