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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.

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Green Chemistry in China: Advancing Sustainable Science for a Better World

edited by

Hui Ding

and Sihui Zhan

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 35 | Submission Open

Keywords: sustainable catalysis; green processes; green energy; green materials; green remediation processes; environmental catalysis; degradation of micropollutants; synthetic biology approaches; enzyme; biocatalysis; normal temperature catalysis; biomimetic catalysis; photocatalysis; solvent-free reactions; process intensification; atomic active site catalysis; biotechnology; carbon neutrality

(This special issue belongs to the Section Green Chemistry)

Recent Advances in Supramolecular and Surface Photochemistry

edited by

Shipra Gupta

and

Mahesh Pattabiraman

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 31 | Submission Open

Keywords: supramolecular photochemistry; organic photochemistry; photochemical synthesis; medicinal uses of photochemistry; biomolecular photochemistry; photochemical reaction mechanisms; photochemistry in confined spaces

(This special issue belongs to the Section Photochemistry)

Recent Advances in the Synthesis and Structural Elucidation of Bioactive Lipid Mediators

edited by Robert Nshimiyimana and

Hong Yong Peh

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 28 | Submission Open

Keywords: total synthesis; stereochemistry; resolution of inflammation; lipid mediators; structural elucidation; biosynthesis; eicosanoids; docosanoids

(This special issue belongs to the Section Organic Chemistry)

Biological Activity of Essential Oils, 2nd Edition

edited by

Ryszard Amarowicz

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 26 | Submission Open

Keywords: essential oil extraction and chemical analysis; biological potential of essential oils; aromatherapy; chemotypes (with/without biological potential variation); biofertilizers; postharvest preservatives

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

Natural Products with Pharmaceutical Activities, 2nd Edition

edited by

Sokcheon Pak

and

Soo Liang Ooi

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 24 | Submission Open

Keywords: bioactive compounds; drug discovery; natural product chemistry; pharmacological evaluation; structure– activity relationship

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

Unlocking the Potential of Agro-Forestry Residues: Biomolecules for Diverse Applications and Multifunctional Uses

edited by

Manuela Romagnoli

and

Swati Tamantini

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 21 | Submission Open

Keywords: waste management; recycling; lignin; tannins; cellulose; additives; eco-friendly materials; nanotechnology; sustainability; circular economy

(This special issue belongs to the Section Green Chemistry)

Advanced Oxidation and Nanotechnology Treatment Methods of Pollutants

edited by

Changbo Zhang

, Weijie Xue and

Wenyu Huang

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 19 | Submission Open

Keywords: advanced oxidation technology; heavy metal pollution; emerging contaminants; pollutant remediation; nanotechnology; micro-nano plastics; toxicity; water treatment; perfluorinated compounds

(This special issue belongs to the Section Green Chemistry)

Advances in Proton Exchange Membrane Technology for Fuel Cells

edited by

Tung-Li Hsieh

and

Wen-Yao Huang

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 17 | Submission Open

Keywords: proton exchange membrane (PEM); fuel cells; advanced membrane materials; proton conductivity; hydrogen energy technology; membrane– electrode interface; nanostructured composite membranes

(This special issue belongs to the Section Electrochemistry)

Transition Metal Complexes for Small Molecule Bond Activation

edited by

Rebeca Arevalo Seco

and

Michael Findlater

submission deadline 31 Jan 2026 | Viewed by 8 | Submission Open

Keywords: transition metal complex; bond activation; small molecule; functionalization; oxidative addition; metal– ligand and metal– metal cooperation; second coordination sphere interactions

(This special issue belongs to the Section Organic Chemistry)

Excited State Dynamics, Photokinetics and Photochemistry

edited by

Mounir Maafi

submission deadline 15 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 67 | Submission Open

Keywords: photodegradation; excited-state properties; photocatalysis; photochromes; therapeutic photo-drugs; photokinetics; actinometry

Design, Fabrication, and Applications of Nano-Membrane Materials

edited by

Shuping Wu

and Minjia Meng

submission deadline 16 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 68 | Submission Open

Keywords: nanomembranes; membrane fabrication; separation; waste purification; nanomaterials; advanced materials

(This special issue belongs to the Section Applied Chemistry)

Quantum-Chemical Studies for Superspecies—in Celebration of Professor Jean-François Gal’s 80th Birthday

edited by

Ewa Raczyńska

submission deadline 20 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 632 | Submission Open

Keywords: structure of superspecies; neutral; ionic; and/or radical forms; isomerism; electron delocalization; energetic parameters of electron transfer; thermochemistry of proton transfer; quantum-chemical studies

Chromatographic Characterization of Food Using Analytical Methods

edited by

Hongyan Bi

submission deadline 27 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 55 | Submission Open

Keywords: food analysis; chromatography; gas chromatography; high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC); sample preparation (SPE; SPME; derivatization); mass spectrometry; chemometrics; food authenticity and adulteration; green analytical chemistry; artificial intelligence

(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Chemistry)

Surface Modification of Materials and Their Applications

edited by

Yi Zhang

submission deadline 27 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 31 | Submission Open

Keywords: chemical functionalization; surface modification; catalysis; biotechnology; advanced manufacturing; environment

(This special issue belongs to the Section Materials Chemistry)

Electroanalysis of Biochemistry and Material Chemistry—2nd Edition

edited by Guangjin Wang

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 7 articles | Viewed by 9436 | Submission Open

Keywords: voltammetry; potentiometry; conductometry; electrolytic method; electrochemical bio-sensors; fuel cells; batteries; supercapacitors

(This special issue belongs to the Section Electrochemistry)

Molecular Modeling: Advancements and Applications, 3rd Edition

edited by

Teobald Kupka

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 6 articles | Viewed by 8167 | Submission Open

Keywords: quantum mechanics; molecular mechanics (MM); molecular dynamics (MD); semi-empirical calculations; Ab initio methods; post-Hartree– Fock methods; density functional theory (DFT); software development; achieving chemical accuracy; thermochemistry and reactivity; interaction energy; covalent bonding and non-covalent interactions; large molecular systems; IR; Raman; and NMR; drug design; nanomaterials and nanotechnology; material sciences

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

Research Progress of Fluorescent Probes

edited by

Yonglei Chen

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 5453 | Submission Open

Keywords: one-photon fluorescent probes; two-photon fluorescent probes; multi-photon fluorescent probes; upconverting fluorescent probes; AIE fluorescent probes

(This special issue belongs to the Section Photochemistry)

Pharmacological Effects of Natural Products: Antioxidant, Anti-Inflammatory and Anticancer Activities

edited by

Juan Carlos Sepúlveda-Arias

and Ramón Enrique Robles Zepeda

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4597 | Submission Open

Keywords: natural products; plant extracts; phytochemical inflammatory diseases; oxidative stress; cancer; biological activity; drug discovery

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

Chemiluminescence and Photoluminescence of Advanced Compounds

edited by

Beata Zadykowicz

and

Karol Krzyminski

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 4123 | Submission Open

Keywords: chemiluminescence; photoluminescence; luminescent molecules; luminescent probes; luminescent indicators; bioimaging; immunoassay; sensing; luminescence mechanism

(This special issue belongs to the Section Photochemistry)

Lignocellulosic Materials, 2nd Edition

edited by

Bruno Medronho

and

Hugo Duarte

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2567 | Submission Open

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

(This special issue belongs to the Section Materials Chemistry)

Functional Porous Frameworks: Synthesis, Properties, and Applications

edited by

Raed Abu-Reziq

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2497 | 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)

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

edited by

Emmanoel Vilaça Costa

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 2467 | 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)

Molecular Insights into Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence

edited by

Stefan Schramm

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1477 | 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)

Advanced Nanomaterials for Fluorescence Imaging and Phototherapy

edited by Zhourui Xu and

Jiandong Huang

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1449 | Submission Open

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

(This special issue belongs to the Section Photochemistry)

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

edited by

Roxana Liana Lucaciu

and

Adriana Corina Hangan

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 1367 | Submission Open

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

(This special issue belongs to the Section Chemical Biology)

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 1147 | 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)

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 977 | 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)

Bioactive Compounds in Foods and Their By-Products

edited by

Irene Dini

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 827 | 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)

Natural Compounds for Disease and Health, 3rd Edition

edited by

George P.H. Leung

and

Jingjing Li

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 645 | 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)

Novel Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Porous Photochromic Materials

edited by Junbiao Wu

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 624 | 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 595 | 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)

Functional Materials: Synthesis Strategies and Environmental Applications

edited by

Kunlei Wang

and

Zhishun Wei

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 585 | Submission Open

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

(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 497 | Submission Open

Keywords: biotechnology; bioconversions; biodegradations; green chemistry

(This special issue belongs to the Section Bioorganic Chemistry)

Analytical Technologies and Intelligent Applications in Future Food

edited by

Changwei Hsieh

, Chunhuan Liu, Shipeng Yin and Xiuhang Chai

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 412 | 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)

Applied Innovative Insights in Selective Organic Hetero-Synthesis

edited by

Mircea Darabantu

and

Ionel Mangalagiu

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 360 | 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)

Hierarchical Organization in Polymeric and Amphiphilic Self-Assembly

edited by Thi Vo

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 192 | Submission Open

Keywords: self-assembly; amphiphile; polymers; computational modeling; synthesis; material design

(This special issue belongs to the Section Macromolecular Chemistry)

Heterocyclic Bioactive Molecules: Structural Analysis and Innovative Applications in Medicinal Chemistry

edited by

Annamaria Martorana

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 114 | Submission Open

Keywords: heterocyclic compounds; drug design; AI machine learning; bioorthogonal chemistry; molecular imaging; small-molecule probes; PROTAC

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medicinal Chemistry)

Sustainable Chemical Approaches for Wastewater Treatment and Resource Utilization

edited by Jingtao Bi and

Panpan Zhang

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 95 | Submission Open

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

(This special issue belongs to the Section Applied Chemistry)

Chemistry of Amino Acids, Peptides, and Proteins

edited by

Maksymilian Chruszcz

and Nicholas Truex

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 86 | Submission Open

Keywords: amino acids; peptides; proteins; synthesis; derivatives; characterization; structural studies; biophysical properties; natural products

(This special issue belongs to the Section Macromolecular 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 | Viewed by 72 | 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)

Oxidative Stress and Antioxidants in Degenerative Conditions

edited by Eleni A. Rekka and

Panagiotis Theodosis-Nobelos

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 67 | Submission Open

Keywords: antioxidants; oxidative stress; chronic-degenerative diseases; hormonal imbalance; anti-inflammatory activity; multi-targeting compounds

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medicinal Chemistry)

Recent Advances in Radical Chemistry

edited by

Jia-Rong Chen

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 62 | Submission Open

Keywords: radical chemistry; radical cross-coupling; photocatalysis; electrochemical synthesis; transition metal catalysis

(This special issue belongs to the Section Organic Chemistry)

Chemical Biology in Europe

edited by

Steven Verhelst

and

Alessio Peracchi

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 56 | Submission Open

Keywords: chemical probes; bioorthogonal chemistry; chemical proteomics; target identification; probe-based visualization; PTM detection

(This special issue belongs to the Section Chemical Biology)

Recent Advances in DNA/Protein Biosensors

edited by

Mosarof Hossain

and

Mariana Ghica

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 55 | Submission Open

Keywords: biosensors; DNA; RNA; proteins; biomarkers

(This special issue belongs to the Section Analytical Chemistry)

Bioactive Molecules for Targeted Cancer Therapy

edited by

Goreti Ribeiro Morais

and Robert A. Falconer

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 54 | Submission Open

Keywords: enzymatic inhibitors; fragment-based discovery; chemical biology; covalent ligands; payloads; prodrug; (poly)peptide conjugates; antibody– drug conjugates; computational chemistry

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medicinal Chemistry)

Current Topics and Applications of Chiral Auxiliaries

edited by Shawn Raynard Hitchcock

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 53 | Submission Open

Keywords: chiral auxiliary; asymmetric synthesis; diastereoselection; organic synthesis; stereochemistry; chiral control

(This special issue belongs to the Section Organic Chemistry)

Harnessing Peptides and Peptidomimetics in Modern Drug Discovery

edited by

Adel Nefzi

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 52 | Submission Open

Keywords: peptide synthesis; peptidomimetics; cyclic peptides; peptide therapeutics; peptide drug discovery; modified peptides; bioactive peptides

(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 | Viewed by 49 | 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)

Green Conversion of Polymeric and Textile Waste into Functional Materials

edited by

Anastasia Anceschi

and

Gjylije Hoti

submission deadline 28 Feb 2026 | Viewed by 46 | Submission Open

Keywords: green chemistry; polymer conversion; textile waste valorization; plastic management; resource recovery; recycling; upcycling; functional materials

(This special issue belongs to the Section Green Chemistry)

Metal Ions and Metal Complexes in Medicinal Chemistry

edited by