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

Advanced Materials for Energy Applications: From Fuels to Batteries and Beyond, 2nd Edition

edited by

Zhao Ding

submission deadline 30 Jul 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 655 | Submission Open

Keywords: hydrogen storage materials; CO2 capture; natural gas sweetening; fossil fuel recovery

(This special issue belongs to the Section Materials Chemistry)

Progress in Nanomaterials for Pollutant Removal

edited by

Sriram Ganesan

submission deadline 30 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 465 | Submission Open

Keywords: nanomaterials; high surface area; surface modification; high removal efficiency; emerging contaminants; single and/or binary mixture; adsorption; degradation

Small-Molecule Inhibitors as Anticancer Drugs

edited by

Magdalena Stobiecka

submission deadline 30 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 194 | Submission Open

Keywords: small-molecule apoptosis-protein-family inhibitors; small-molecule mitotic inhibitors; small-molecule kinase inhibitors; small-molecule receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors; small-molecule non-receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors; small-molecule serine/threonine kinase inhibitors; small-molecule epigenetic inhibitors; small-molecule proteasome inhibitors; small-molecule inhibitors for disrupting protein– protein interactions; small-molecule inhibitors aimed at exploiting tumor metabolic vulnerabilities

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medicinal Chemistry)

Plant Bioactives in Human Health: From Phytochemistry to Molecular Mechanisms

edited by

Valeria Naponelli

and

Elena Ferrari

submission deadline 30 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 107 | Submission Open

Keywords: bioactive compounds; bioavailability; extraction methods; biological activities; cell signalling; functional applications; nutraceuticals; human metabolism; toxicity; bioactive-gut microbiota relationships

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

Featured Papers in Organometallic Chemistry—2nd Edition

edited by

Michal Szostak

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 12 articles | Viewed by 19179 | Submission Open

Keywords: organometallic chemistry; complexes; metals; metal– carbon bonding; main group metals; transition metals; lanthanides; catalysis; ligands; metal chemistry; phosphines; N-heterocyclic carbenes; bipyridines; homogeneous catalysis; cross-coupling; bond activation; ancillary ligands; photoredox catalysis; asymmetric catalysis; crystallography; spectroscopy

(This special issue belongs to the Section Organometallic Chemistry)

Research Progress and Application of Natural Compounds—2nd Edition

edited by

Claudiu N. Lungu

and

Ionel Mangalagiu

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 6 articles | Viewed by 12447 | Submission Open

Keywords: natural products; primary and secondary metabolites; bioactive compounds; bioactive peptides; anticancer natural products; flavonoids; drug design

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

Photocatalytic Materials and Photocatalytic Reactions, 2nd Edition

edited by

Sugang Meng

and

Bo Weng

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 8 articles | Viewed by 11331 | Submission Open

Keywords: photocatalysts; carbon neutral; charge carrier separation; photocatalytic mechanism; photoredox reaction; nanocomposites

(This special issue belongs to the Section Photochemistry)

30th Anniversary of Molecules—Recent Advances in Applied Chemistry

edited by

Bhanu P. S. Chauhan

and

Shijun Liao

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 7 articles | Viewed by 10737 | Submission Open

Keywords: applied chemistry; new molecules and natural materials; analytical methods and techniques; electrochemistry and energy; biodegradable materials and medicines; environment and green chemistry; theoretical chemistry

(This special issue belongs to the Section Applied Chemistry)

Analytical Chemistry in Asia, 2nd Edition

edited by

Makoto Tsunoda

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 8368 | Submission Open

Keywords: analytical chemistry; Asia; HPLC; sample preparation; bioanalysis; mass spectrometry

(This special issue belongs to the Section Analytical Chemistry)

Small-Molecule Drug Design and Discovery

edited by Qiuqin He

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 6439 | Submission Open

Keywords: small-molecule drug design; structure-based drug design; fragment-based drug discovery; PROTAC technology; artificial intelligence technology; biological evaluation

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medicinal Chemistry)

Advances in Natural Products and Their Biological Activities—2nd Edition

edited by

Irwin Rose Alencar Menezes

Henrique Douglas Melo Coutinho

, Roseli Barbosa and Francisco Assis Bezerra Da Cunha

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 5 articles | Viewed by 5575 | Submission Open

Keywords: phytochemical; natural product; phytotherapy; medicinal plants; biological activity; pharmaceutical formulations; biological activity; pharmacological or toxicology effects

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

Vibrational Spectroscopy and Imaging for Chemical Application

edited by

Barry K. Lavine

and

Karl Booksh

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 4 articles | Viewed by 5054 | Submission Open

Keywords: Raman spectroscopy; infrared spectroscopy; Raman image analysis; infrared image analysis; chemometrics; multiway analysis; multivariate curve resolution; alternating least squares; multivariate image analysis; classification; machine learning

(This special issue belongs to the Section Analytical Chemistry)

30th Anniversary of Molecules—Recent Advances in Food Chemistry

edited by

Ana Novo Barros

and Marta Coelho

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 6 articles | Viewed by 4786 | Submission Open

Keywords: functional foods; nutraceuticals; bioactive compounds; analytical techniques; by-products; food chemistry

(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Chemistry)

Lignin: New Insights in Chemistry

edited by

Chiaki Ogino

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 4374 | Submission Open

Keywords: lignin valorization; catalytic depolymerization; enzymatic lignin transformation; thermochemical processes; lignin-derived fine chemicals; synthetic biology in lignin research; circular bioeconomy

(This special issue belongs to the Section Green Chemistry)

Synthesis, Identification and Biological Evaluation of Novel Natural and Derivative Products

edited by

Elson S. Alvarenga

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 3511 | Submission Open

Keywords: organic synthesis; natural products; theoretical calculation; DFT; structure identification; biological evaluation

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

Opportunities and Challenges in Organic Optoelectronic Materials

edited by

Chien-Jung Huang

and

Mu-Chun Wang

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3425 | Submission Open

Keywords: organic semiconductors; organic photonics; inorganic/organic hybrid materials; excitons; electroluminescence; photovoltaics; vacuum/solution process; energy transfer

(This special issue belongs to the Section Materials Chemistry)

Molecular Insights into Functional Lipids in Food Chemistry

edited by

Jun Jin

and Siyu Zhang

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 3318 | Submission Open

Keywords: structured lipid; synthesis; crystallization; fatty acid; glyceride

(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Chemistry)

Advances in Nanomaterials for Biomedical Applications, 2nd Edition

edited by Xueen Jia and Ce Zhang

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 3300 | Submission Open

Keywords: 2D nanomaterials; metal– organic frameworks (MOFs); metasurfaces; biosensor; drug delivery

(This special issue belongs to the Section Nanochemistry)

Extraction Techniques for Sample Preparation

edited by

Vincenzo Ferrone

and

Pantaleone Bruni

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2779 | Submission Open

Keywords: sorbent-based extraction; liquid-based extraction; supercritical- or subcritical-based extraction; HPLC determination; GC determination; LC-MS-based analysis; chemical fingerprinting

(This special issue belongs to the Section Analytical Chemistry)

Molecular Approaches to Drug Design: From Target Identification to Delivery

edited by

Michio Kurosu

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2612 | Submission Open

Keywords: drug design; target identification; drug delivery; protein-based therapeutics; targeted therapy

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medicinal Chemistry)

Novel Membranes and Coatings for Biomedical and Food Applications

edited by

Jurak Małgorzata

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 3 articles | Viewed by 2484 | Submission Open

Keywords: model cell membranes; biocompatible and edible coatings; bioactive compounds; nutrients; biomaterials; surface characteristics; dispersion systems

(This special issue belongs to the Section Applied Chemistry)

Unveiling the Applications of Bioactive Compounds in Functional Foods for Optimal Human Health—2nd Edition

edited by

Xiangkai Li

and

Aman Khan

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 2301 | Submission Open

Keywords: functional foods; bioactive ingredients; health benefits; immune function; gut health; disease prevention

(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Chemistry)

Phytochemical Wisdom: Traditional Medicinal Plants for Anti-Infective Drug Discovery

edited by

Paolo Coghi

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 2197 | Submission Open

Keywords: traditional medicinal plants; anti-infective agents; antimicrobial resistance (AMR); medicinal chemistry; phytochemicals; natural product drug discovery

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

Identification, Isolation, and Analysis of Phytochemicals from Plant-Derived Products

edited by

Lin Shi

and

Lu Yang

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1929 | Submission Open

Keywords: phytochemicals; structural identification; composition analysis; plant products; pharmacological experiment; herbal medicine

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

Terpenes and Their Derivatives: From Nature to Medical Applications

edited by

Linfu Liang

Anwar Rayan

and

Barbara De Filippis

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1831 | Submission Open

Keywords: terpenes; plants; animals; microbes; extraction technologies; structure elucidation; chemical synthesis and biosynthesis; biological investigation

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

Design and Preparation of New Metal Catalysts for Functional Organic Compounds Synthesis

edited by

Giorgio Facchetti

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1776 | Submission Open

Keywords: transition metal complexes; hybrid catalysts; nanocatalysts; single-atom catalysts; sustainable organic synthesis; natural products

(This special issue belongs to the Section Organometallic Chemistry)

Biological Activity of Metal Complexes: Design and Characterization Strategies

edited by

Enrique González-Vergara

and

María Eugenia Castro

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1748 | Submission Open

Keywords: metal complexes; biological activity; metallodrugs; anticancer: antibacterial; antiviral; antiparasitic: delivery methods; biophysical characterization; DFT; docking

(This special issue belongs to the Section Inorganic Chemistry)

Development of Computational Approaches in Chemical Biology

edited by

Jinyu Li

, Dianyong Tang and Yichang Liu

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1495 | Submission Open

Keywords: computational chemical biology; molecular modeling; molecular dynamics simulations; AI in drug discovery; protein– ligand interactions; protein design; biological networks; multi-omics integration

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

Degradation of Aromatic Compounds in the Environment

edited by

Urszula Guzik

and

Wojciech Smułek

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1431 | Submission Open

Keywords: aromatic compounds; microorganisms; biodegradation; biotransformation; advanced oxidation processes

(This special issue belongs to the Section Organic Chemistry)

Anti-Inflammatory and Antimicrobial Compounds and Extracts from Plant Sources

edited by

Catherine C. Neto

and

Hang Ma

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1409 | Submission Open

Keywords: phytochemicals; anti-inflammatory; antimicrobial; plants; extracts; botanicals; metabolites; functional foods

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

Extraction, Chromatography, and Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Food and Plant Biomolecules

edited by

Jorge Pereira

and

Natalia Casado Navas

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 1377 | Submission Open

Keywords: liquid chromatography; gas chromatography; sample preparation; extraction; supercritical fluid extraction; solid-phase extraction; liquid– liquid extraction

(This special issue belongs to the Section Analytical Chemistry)

Recent Advances in the Organic Synthesis of Bioactive Natural Compounds and Their Analogs

edited by

Ioannis Kostakis

and

Alexios Leandros Skaltsounis

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 2 articles | Viewed by 1143 | Submission Open

Keywords: bioactive natural compounds; organic synthesis; natural products; synthetic methodologies; medicinal chemistry; drug discovery; total synthesis

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

Advances in Electrochemical Sensors

edited by

Yixi Xie

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 958 | Submission Open

Keywords: electrochemical sensor; modified electrodes; photoelectrochemical sensor; wearable sensor; environmental monitoring; food safety analysis

(This special issue belongs to the Section Electrochemistry)

Indole Derivatives: Synthesis and Application 3rd edition

edited by

David StC Black

and

Naresh Kumar

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 880 | Submission Open

Keywords: organic synthesis; natural products; heterocyclic compounds; ring cyclisations; metal complexes; organometallic compounds; polymers; molecular rearrangements; biological activity

Green Synthesis and Environmental Application of Biomass-Based Materials

edited by Congyu Zhang and

Xinhua Qi

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 774 | Submission Open

Keywords: biomass; biochar; functional material; environmental application; green synthesis; sustainability

(This special issue belongs to the Section Green Chemistry)

Synthesis, Properties, and Applications of Chiral Molecules

edited by José Luis Olivares-Romero

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 689 | Submission Open

Keywords: asymmetric catalysis; new chiral catalyst; stereoselective synthesis of natural products and analogs; chiral auxiliaries and reagents; computational and mechanistic studies of chiral processes; stereochemical characterization (e.g.; ECD; VCD; NMR; XRD); chirality in pharmaceutical development (ADMET; enantioselective binding); enantioselective recognition; sensors; and separation technologies; chiral materials in optoelectronics; polymers; and supramolecular chemistry; green and sustainable strategies for chiral synthesis

(This special issue belongs to the Section Organic Chemistry)

Gold Nanoparticles in Biomedical Applications: Recent Advances and Future Perspectives

edited by

Rafik Karaman

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | 1 articles | Viewed by 535 | Submission Open

Keywords: drug delivery; gene delivery; imaging and diagnostics; therapeutic agents; tissue engineering and regenerative medicine

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medicinal Chemistry)

Microwave-Assisted Rapid Preparation and Processing of Nanostructured Materials and Their Applications

edited by

Ying-Jie Zhu

and Hanping Yu

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 490 | Submission Open

Keywords: microwave; synthesis; preparation; processing; nanostructured materials; nanomaterials; nanostructures; application

(This special issue belongs to the Section Microwave Chemistry)

Kinetic and Mechanistic Studies on Multifunctional Antioxidants

edited by

Adriana Perez-Gonzalez

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 290 | Submission Open

Keywords: thermodynamic; kinetic; quantum chemistry; reaction paths; oxidative stress; protective effect; ROS inhibition; reactivity

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

Application of Vibrational Spectroscopy Coupled with Chemometric Tools

edited by

Ricardo N. M. J. Páscoa

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 215 | Submission Open

Keywords: vibrational spectroscopy; chemometrics; quantitative analysis; qualitative analysis; NIR spectroscopy; IR spectroscopy; Raman spectroscopy

(This special issue belongs to the Section Analytical Chemistry)

Advances in Sustainable and Functional Bio-Based Porous Materials for Environmental Remediation

edited by

Qiangu Yan

and Yufei Nan

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 195 | Submission Open

Keywords: bio-based materials; porous structure; adsorption of heavy metals/organics/dyes/microplastics; sustainable processing

(This special issue belongs to the Section Materials Chemistry)

Transition Metal Complexes in Cancer Therapy: Beyond Platinum

edited by Wai Lun Man

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 176 | Submission Open

Keywords: anticancer drugs; transition metal complexes; inorganic chemistry; medicinal chemistry; chemotherapy

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

Discovery and Structure Optimization of Antibacterial Natural Products

edited by

Yong Guo

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 171 | Submission Open

Keywords: natural products; structure optimization; antibiotic discovery; antibacterial activity; scaffold diversity

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

Chemical and Physical Interactions Between Food and Packaging: Safety, Stability, and Quality

edited by

Agnieszka Ciurzyńska

and

Monika Janowicz

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 167 | Submission Open

Keywords: packaging; coating; physical properites; chemical properties; food quality; food safety

(This special issue belongs to the Section Food Chemistry)

Synthesis and Application of Nanomaterials for Bio-Based and Environmental Pollution Molecules Detection and Purification

edited by

Harshica Fernando

and Gina M. Chiarella

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 167 | Submission Open

Keywords: nano-enabled environmental cleanup; sustainable nanotechnology; toxic ion sequestration; environmental remediation; nano compound synthesis; green; eco-friendly nanomaterials as catalysis; water; food; and soil safety

(This special issue belongs to the Section Nanochemistry)

Synthesis and Biological Properties of Natural Product Analogues

edited by

Zhiran Ju

and

Lijian Ding

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 153 | Submission Open

Keywords: natural product analogues; synthesis; biological evaluation; structure– activity relationship (SAR); NP-based therapeutic agents; pharmacophores

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

Biocatalysis in Deep Eutectic Solvents: Stability, Immobilization and Applications

edited by

Nadia Guajardo

and

Nicolás F. Gajardo-Parra

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 145 | Submission Open

Keywords: biocatalysis; deep eutectic solvents; enzyme stability; enzyme selectivity; enzyme immobilization; reaction medium; enzymatic reactors; enzyme molecular dynamics

(This special issue belongs to the Section Green Chemistry)

Computational Approaches in Pharmaceutical Chemistry: Challenges and Opportunities

edited by

Roberta Rocca

submission deadline 31 Jul 2026 | Viewed by 141 | Submission Open

Keywords: molecular docking; protein– ligand interactions; structure-based and ligand-based virtual screening; molecular dynamics; pharmacophore modeling; enhanced sampling methods; drug discovery; lead optimization

(This special issue belongs to the Section Medicinal Chemistry)

Essential Oils in Human Health—2nd Edition

edited by