Submit to Molecules Review for Molecules Propose a Special Issue

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Special Issues

Molecules publishes Special Issues to create collections of papers on specific topics, with the aim of building a community of authors and readers to discuss the latest research and develop new ideas and research directions. Special Issues are led by Guest Editors, who are experts on the topic and all Special Issue submissions follow MDPI's standard editorial process. The journal’s Editor-in-Chief and/or designated Editorial Board Member will oversee Guest Editor appointments and Special Issue proposals, checking their content for relevance and ensuring the suitability of the material for the journal. The papers published in a Special Issue will be collected and displayed on a dedicated page of the journal’s website. Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies and Guest Editor responsibilities can be found here. For any inquiries related to a Special Issue, please contact the Editorial Office.

Section

Search by Title/Keyword

Order results

Display

Results per page

Natural Compounds for Disease and Health, 3rd Edition

edited by

George P.H. Leung

and

Jingjing Li

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 6 articles | Viewed by 6504 | Submission Open

Keywords: natural products; phytochemistry; structure– activity relationship; mechanisms of action; anti-aging; cancer; cardiovascular diseases; digestive diseases; endocrine disorders; immune diseases; infections; inflammation; liver diseases; metabolic diseases; musculoskeletal diseases; neurodegenerative diseases; pain; psychiatric diseases; renal diseases; respiratory diseases

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medicinal Chemistry)

Chemical Design and Synthesis of Antimicrobial Drugs

edited by Ma Su and

Diana I.S.P. Resende

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 6041 | Submission Open

Keywords: antimicrobial drugs; rational design; drug resistance; ESKAPE pathogens; structure– activity relationship; advanced skeleton

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medicinal Chemistry)

Biochemically Active Natural and Semisynthetic Products: Extraction, Characterization, and Application

edited by

Emmanoel Vilaça Costa

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 6 articles | Viewed by 5767 | Submission Open

Keywords: natural and semisynthetic products; extraction; isolation; and purification; identification and structural elucidation; biological properties; multidisciplinary applications

(This special issue belongs to the Section Natural Products Chemistry)

New Horizons in Deep Eutectic Solvents (DESs): Synthesis, Characterization and Applications

edited by

Dorota Warmińska

Iwona Cichowska-Kopczyńska

and

Maciej Smiechowski

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 5282 | Submission Open

Keywords: deep eutectic solvent; methods of synthesis; physicochemical and thermal properties; extraction and separation; catalysis; pharmaceuticals; energy storage

(This special issue belongs to the Section Molecular Liquids)

Functional Porous Frameworks: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications

edited by

Raed Abu-Reziq

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 4948 | Submission Open

Keywords: metal– organic frameworks; covalent organic frameworks; mesoporous silica; periodic mesoporous organosilicas; catalysis; biomedical applications; energy storage; environmental remediation

(This special issue belongs to the Section Materials Chemistry)

Advanced Materials for Environmental Remediation: Design and Applications

edited by Meijuan Chen and Yuru Wang

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4902 | Submission Open

Keywords: advanced materials; environmental remediation; nanomaterials; biomaterials; porous materials; composites; water purification; air purification; soil remediation

(This special issue belongs to the Section Materials Chemistry)

Chemical Biology of Antimicrobial Resistance, 2nd Edition

edited by

Qilin Yu

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 4592 | Submission Open

Keywords: antimicrobial resistance; resistance mechanism; antibiotics; diagnostics; new mode of action; antibiotic target; structure– activity relationship; molecular probe

(This special issue belongs to the Section Cross-Field Chemistry)

Bioactive Compounds in Foods and Their By-Products

edited by

Irene Dini

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4317 | Submission Open

Keywords: circular economy; food analytical method; food analytical method validation; bioactives bioavailability; suitable agronomic technique; food toxicology

(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Chemistry)

Polymeric Liquid Crystals and Applications, 2nd Edition

edited by

Pedro Marques de Almeida

Anupam Sengupta

and

Mateusz Mrukiewicz

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4258 | Submission Open

Keywords: phases; structures and ordering; self-assembly; colloids; instabilities; pattern formation and chaos; fibers; biological and bio-inspired liquid crystals; polymer-liquid crystal blends; conductive liquid crystals; switchable polymers; nanostructured systems; supramolecules; polymers; elastomers and gels; photosensitive liquid crystals; confined liquid crystals; molecular design; synthesis and new materials; sensors; actuators; O-LED and polymer LCD devices; conducting polymer liquid crystals; biopolymer liquid crystals; drug delivery; mathematical modelling; novel applications of liquid crystalline systems

(This special issue belongs to the Section Applied Chemistry)

Design, Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Novel Small Molecules Inhibitors, 2nd Edition

edited by

Letizia Giampietro

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4215 | Submission Open

Keywords: small molecules; inhibitors; natural products; drug design; synthetic strategies; structure– activity relationship; docking studies; drug delivery; in vivo; in vitro; and ex vivo evaluation; biological activity; molecular mechanisms

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medicinal Chemistry)

Metallic Nanoclusters and Their Interaction with Light

edited by

Ludmila Otilia Cinteza

and

Vlad Neacșu

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4163 | Submission Open

Keywords: nanoclusters; photophysics; photocatalysis; imaging; phototherapy

(This special issue belongs to the Section Applied Chemistry)

Nutritional Components of Non-Animal Origin Foods: Structure, Synthesis, Functions and Mechanisms

edited by

Jie Zhang

, Zhengyi Wei and Tiehua Zhang

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 3313 | Submission Open

Keywords: non-animal origin foods; nutritional components; bioactive compounds; human diseases; health benefits; epidemiological and clinical studies; action mechanism

(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Chemistry)

Metal-Based Drugs: Past, Present and Future, 3rd Edition

edited by

Roxana Liana Lucaciu

and

Adriana Corina Hangan

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 3208 | Submission Open

Keywords: metal-based drugs; synthesis; characterization; docking; biological activity; diagnosis; therapeutic tool

(This special issue belongs to the Section Chemical Biology)

Synthesis and Crystal Structure Studies of Metal Complexes

edited by Anna Świtlicka

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 3097 | Submission Open

Keywords: synthesis; crystal structure; physical properties; X-ray diffraction; coordination complexes; d- and f-block metal atoms; functional materials; applications

(This special issue belongs to the Section Inorganic Chemistry)

Lignocellulosic Materials, 2nd Edition

edited by

Bruno Medronho

and

Hugo Duarte

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 3041 | Submission Open

Keywords: biomass valorization; biopolymers; lignocellulose; green chemistry; bio-based materials; environmental remediation

(This special issue belongs to the Section Materials Chemistry)

Sustainable Chemical Approaches for Wastewater Treatment and Resource Utilization

edited by Jingtao Bi and

Panpan Zhang

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2825 | Submission Open

Keywords: wastewater treatment; functional materials; green chemical processes; redox; adsorption; catalysis; membrane separation

(This special issue belongs to the Section Applied Chemistry)

Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory Activities and Skin Protective Potential of Extractions from Natural Plants

edited by Gerardo Magela Vieira-Júnior and

Paulo Michel Pinheiro Ferreira

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2732 | Submission Open

Keywords: antioxidants; anti-inflammatory; skin protection; phenolic compounds; extracts derived from plants; natural products

(This special issue belongs to the Section Natural Products Chemistry)

Advances in Metal/Oxide Interfacial Catalysts: Design, Properties, and Applications

edited by Mausumi Mahapatra

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2529 | Submission Open

Keywords: oxides; metal– oxide interface; catalysts; active sites; heterogeneous catalysis

(This special issue belongs to the Section Physical Chemistry)

Molecular Insights into Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence

edited by

Stefan Schramm

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2457 | Submission Open

Keywords: bioluminescence; chemiluminescence; chemical mechanism; luminescence; photophysics; photochemical processes; bioluminescent enzymes; luminescent sensing and imaging

(This special issue belongs to the Section Photochemistry)

Applied Innovative Insights in Selective Organic Hetero-Synthesis

edited by

Mircea Darabantu

and

Ionel Mangalagiu

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2321 | Submission Open

Keywords: hetarenes; hetero-alycycles; regioisomerism; diastereomerism; enantiomerism; biomimetics and new chemical entities (NCEs); “ intelligent” molecules

(This special issue belongs to the Section Organic Chemistry)

Advanced Nanomaterials for Fluorescence Imaging and Phototherapy

edited by Zhourui Xu and

Jiandong Huang

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2070 | Submission Open

Keywords: phototheranostics; fluorescence imaging; photothermal therapy; photodynamic therapy; NIR-II region; nanoformulation

(This special issue belongs to the Section Photochemistry)

Advanced Electrode Materials for Electrochemical Energy Storage and Conversion, 3rd Edition

edited by

Jin Niu

Nannan Guo

Yaxin Chen

and Juzhe Liu

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2057 | Submission Open

Keywords: clean energy; advanced electrode material; morphology and structural regulation; electrocatalysis; battery; supercapacitor; electrochemical energy storage; electrochemical energy conversion

(This special issue belongs to the Section Electrochemistry)

Analytical Technologies and Intelligent Applications in Future Food

edited by

Chang-Wei Hsieh

, Chunhuan Liu, Shipeng Yin and Xiuhang Chai

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1607 | Submission Open

Keywords: artificial intelligence (AI) in food chemistry; machine learning for food analysis; intelligent sensing systems for food; food quality; safety; and authenticity; non-targeted screening in food; detection of food adulteration and contaminants; big data analytics in food science; smart food processing and quality control

(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Chemistry)

Chemistry and Applications of Compounds Containing Quinoline or Isoquinoline Structure

edited by

Stanislav Kafka

and

José Carlos Menéndez

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1574 | Submission Open

Keywords: quinoline; isoquinoline; synthesis; molecular structure; alkaloids; fluorescence; green chemistry; crystal structure; structure– activity relationship; antitumor agents

(This special issue belongs to the Section Organic Chemistry)

Density Functional Theory: From Fundamentals to Applications

edited by

Yingang Gui

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1542 | Submission Open

Keywords: DFT; theoretical and computational chemistry; new functional materials; surface modification; structural optimization; electronic proprieties; chemical bond; structure; and reactivity; gas sensing; adsorption and desorption; nanomaterials and nanotechnology

(This special issue belongs to the Section Computational and Theoretical Chemistry)

Molecular Magnetic Response and Aromaticity

edited by Mesías Orozco-Ic

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1534 | Submission Open

Keywords: aromaticity; magnetic response calculations; magnetic shielding; magnetically induced current densities.

(This special issue belongs to the Section Computational and Theoretical Chemistry)

Natural Bioactive Compounds: Therapeutic Potential in the Management of Chronic Diseases

edited by

H. P. Vasantha Rupasinghe

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1473 | Submission Open

Keywords: natural bioactives; phytochemicals; polyphenols; isoprenoids; alkaloids; bioactive lipids and peptides; prebiotics; postbiotics; chronic diseases; non-communicable diseases

(This special issue belongs to the Section Natural Products Chemistry)

Advances in Metallocene Chemistry

edited by

Karlheinz Sünkel

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1356 | Submission Open

Keywords: metallocene; macromolecular chemistry; bio-organometallic chemistry; catalysis

(This special issue belongs to the Section Organometallic Chemistry)

Nanomaterials and Nanocomposites: Synthesis, Characterization and Applications in Environmental and Biomedical Sciences

edited by

Rita Patakfalvi

and

Ravichandran Manisekaran

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1319 | Submission Open

Keywords: nanomaterials; diagnostics; therapy; anticancer; antimicrobial; adsorption; photocatalysis; sensor

(This special issue belongs to the Section Nanochemistry)

Innovative Chemical Technologies for Rare Earth Element Processing

edited by Yuefei Zhang and Fang Zhou

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1225 | Submission Open

Keywords: rare-earth; weathered crust elution-deposited rare-earth ores; leaching; compound leaching agents; intermolecular interaction

Novel Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Porous Photochromic Materials

edited by Junbiao Wu

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1145 | Submission Open

Keywords: photochromism; porous materials; open-frameworks; inorganic– organic hybrid; electron transfer; light sensors; inkless printing; anticounterfeiting

(This special issue belongs to the Section Inorganic Chemistry)

Synthesis and Spectroscopic Characterization of Organometallic Compounds

edited by

Jacek Nycz

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1106 | Submission Open

Keywords: catalytic activity; synthesis and reactivity; spectroscopy; reaction mechanism; structural and spectroscopic characterization; turnover number (abbreviated TON); electrochemistry

(This special issue belongs to the Section Organic Chemistry)

Nutritional Properties, Sensory Profile and Bioactive Components of Food, 3rd Edition

edited by

Aldona Sobota

and

Grażyna Cacak-Pietrzak

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1101 | Submission Open

Keywords: food analysis; bioactive compounds; sensory characteristics; food composition; functional food ingredients

(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Chemistry)

Natural Product-Inspired Drug Discovery: From Molecular Design to Safety and Translational Pharmacology

edited by

Khalid A. El Sayed

and Hassan Y. Ebrahim

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1095 | Submission Open

Keywords: metabolism; molecular design; molecular mechanistic pathways; natural products; PKs/PDs; RNA/DNA Sequencing; toxicity/safety

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medicinal Chemistry)

Application of Natural Products in the Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases

edited by

Guiyi Gong

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1039 | Submission Open

Keywords: natural products; neurovascular and neurodegenerative diseases; neuroprotection; bioactive compounds; drug discovery; molecular mechanisms; multi-target therapy; neuroinflammation

(This special issue belongs to the Section Natural Products Chemistry)

Emerging Drug Targets: New Challenges for the Medicinal Chemist

edited by

Giovanni Ribaudo

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1037 | Submission Open

Keywords: drug repurposing; drug repositioning; drug design; target validation; molecular modeling; interaction studies; organic synthesis; artificial intelligence

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medicinal Chemistry)

Advances in Functional Foods, 2nd Edition

edited by

Jolanta Sereikaitė

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1023 | Submission Open

Keywords: functional food ingredients; delivery of bioactives; bioavailability of bioactives; technological aspects; health benefits; personalized nutrition; health claims

(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Chemistry)

Functional Materials: Synthesis Strategies and Environmental Applications

edited by

Kunlei Wang

and

Zhishun Wei

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 967 | Submission Open

Keywords: environmental remediation; pollutant removal; materials chemistry; catalytic materials; environmental chemistry

(This special issue belongs to the Section Materials Chemistry)

Research on Changes in Nutritional Components and Structure During Food Processing

edited by

Jinhu Tian

, Wei Qin and Natthawuddhi Donlao

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 965 | Submission Open

Keywords: food structure; nutritional components; bioactive compounds; food processing; phytochemicals; health benefits

(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Chemistry)

Advanced Removal of Emerging Pollutants and Its Mechanism

edited by

Daniela Roxana Popovici

Cătălina Călin

and Dorin Bombos

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 915 | Submission Open

Keywords: emerging contaminants; adsorption interactions; microbial biodegradation; pollutant removal efficiency; innovative technologies

(This special issue belongs to the Section Green Chemistry)

Porous Materials for Environmental Pollutant Adsorption and Degradation

edited by

Alexandru Popa

and Orsina Verdeş

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 807 | Submission Open

Keywords: microporous and mesoporous materials; adsorbents; environmental applications; physical and chemical characterizations of materials; carbon capture and utilization (CCU); CO2 adsorption mechanisms; adsorbent regeneration; heterogeneous catalytic reactions

(This special issue belongs to the Section Materials Chemistry)

Biocatalytic Platforms Towards Synthesis and Degradation Processes

edited by

Ewa Zymańczyk-Duda

Małgorzata Brzezińska-Rodak

and

Magdalena Klimek-Ochab

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 795 | Submission Open

Keywords: biotechnology; bioconversions; biodegradations; green chemistry

(This special issue belongs to the Section Bioorganic Chemistry)

Recent Advances in DNA/Protein Biosensors

edited by

Mosarof Hossain

and

Mariana Ghica

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 687 | Submission Open

Keywords: biosensors; DNA; RNA; proteins; biomarkers

(This special issue belongs to the Section Analytical Chemistry)

Advanced Photocatalysts for Environmental Remediation and Contaminant Removal

edited by

Jingfei Luan

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 611 | Submission Open

Keywords: nonbiodegradable organic contaminants; antibiotic contaminants; dye contaminants; pesticide pollutants; photocatalytic degradation; advanced photocatalysts; oxidic radicals; degradation pathways; degradation mechanism; photophysical property; photochemical property

(This special issue belongs to the Section Applied Chemistry)

Natural Dyes for the Textile and Leather Industries—for the Future’s Sustainability

edited by

Ricardo Calhelha

Sandrina A. Heleno

and

Isabel P. Fernandes

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 370 | Submission Open

Keywords: natural dyes; textile and leather industries; extraction methodologies; pigment characterization; new dye to fiber binding agents and strategies; bioactive properties; industrial applications

(This special issue belongs to the Section Colorants)

Recent Advances in Fluorescent Probes: Design, Synthesis, Properties and Application

edited by Zhaoyang Wang and Yancheng Wu

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 293 | Submission Open

Keywords: fluorescent probes; fluorescent sensors; fluorescent analytical technology; chemical detection; biological detection; fluorescence

(This special issue belongs to the Section Photochemistry)

Research Advances in Li-Ion Battery Materials: Present and Future

edited by