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Nanomaterials
Special Issues
Nanofiber and Nanomaterial Composites: Energy, Healthcare and Beyond
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Nanofiber and Nanomaterial Composites: Energy, Healthcare and Beyond

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanocomposite Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 October 2026 | Viewed by 1262

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Lihua Lou

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29631, USA
Interests: nanocomposites manufacturing; applications; engineering nanomaterial design; biomaterials mechanics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Alberto Jiménez Suárez

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Guest Editor
Materials Science and Engineering Area, Escuela Superior de Ciencias Experimentales y Tecnología, Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Calle Tulipán s/n, Móstoles, 28933 Madrid, Spain
Interests: multifunctional composite materials; self-healing materials; 3D printed nanocomposites; structural health monitoring
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanofibers and nanomaterial composites, characterized by their unique structural, mechanical, electrical, optical, and magnetic properties, have emerged as a transformative class of materials at the convergence of materials science, engineering, and nanotechnology. Their multifunctional nature opens vast possibilities for applications across diverse domains, including energy storage, biomedical engineering, environmental remediation, and beyond. The purpose of this Special Issue, “Nanofiber and Nanomaterial Composites: Energy, Healthcare and Beyond,” is to highlight the latest advances, emerging challenges, and future directions in this rapidly expanding field. This issue seeks to provide a comprehensive platform for contributions that explore the design, fabrication, processing, characterization, and applications of nanofibers, nanomaterials, and their hybrid composites. We particularly welcome studies that reveal fundamental insights into interfacial interactions, property enhancement mechanisms, and structure–property relationships, as well as works employing computational modeling, multiscale simulations, and advanced experimental characterization. Both fundamental research and application-driven investigations are encouraged. This Special Issue invites original research articles, critical reviews, perspectives, and short communications related to nanofiber and nanomaterial composite research. By bringing together diverse contributions from multiple disciplines, this issue aims to inspire innovative directions, foster cross-sectoral collaborations, and accelerate the translation of these advanced materials into next-generation technologies for energy, healthcare, and environmental solutions.

Dr. Lihua Lou
Prof. Dr. Alberto Jiménez Suárez
Guest Editors

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. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2400 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.

Keywords

  • nanofibers
  • nanomaterials
  • composites
  • nanotechnology
  • energy storage
  • biomedical engineering

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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13 pages, 2657 KB  
Article
Nanocellulose Coatings for Surgical Face Masks
by Divya Rajah, Sandya Athukoralalage, Ramanathan Yegappan and Nasim Amiralian
Nanomaterials 2026, 16(2), 112; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano16020112 - 15 Jan 2026
Viewed by 430
Abstract
Polypropylene (PP) nonwovens are widely used as filtration layers in surgical face masks, but their hydrophobic, inert surfaces limit their ability to attach functional coatings that adjust pore size and improve mechanical filtration. Herein, we exploit cellulose derived from sugarcane debris to construct [...] Read more.
Polypropylene (PP) nonwovens are widely used as filtration layers in surgical face masks, but their hydrophobic, inert surfaces limit their ability to attach functional coatings that adjust pore size and improve mechanical filtration. Herein, we exploit cellulose derived from sugarcane debris to construct nanocellulose coatings that modify the surface properties of PP mask nonwovens without altering the underlying fibre architecture. Cellulose pulp was fibrillated to cellulose nanofibres (CNFs) and functionalised to yield TEMPO-oxidised nanofibres (TCNFs) and cationic nanofibres (CCNFs). All these nanofibres retain a cellulose I structure with a thermal stability of well above an 80–100 °C drying window. The three nanocelluloses exhibit distinct combinations of surface charge and wettability (ζ ≈ −9, −73, and +76 mV), with various hydrophobicity. Dip coating produces nanocellulose coating layers on PP, with uniform coverage at 1 wt% for TCNF and CCNF. CCNF inverts the negative surface charge of PP and maintains the positive charge at 86% relative humidity. Ethanol pretreatment of PP increases CCNF coating adhesion and preserves a continuous nanoporous CCNF film on the PP surface under humid conditions. Cytotoxicity assays indicate no detectable cytotoxicity for coated or uncoated nonwovens. This work establishes sugarcane-derived nanocellulose, particularly CCNF and TCNF, as a potential biocompatible surface coating for PP mask nonwovens. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanofiber and Nanomaterial Composites: Energy, Healthcare and Beyond)
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11 pages, 2689 KB  
Article
Preparation of Fe/PANI/GF Composite and Study on Its Interfacial Evaporation Performance
by Jipu Guo, Xiaolong Wei, Meiyan Wang, Xu Li, Bin Yan, Xiaotong Pan, Zhe Zhang, Yao Wu, Bofang Shi and Honghui Yang
Nanomaterials 2026, 16(1), 24; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano16010024 - 24 Dec 2025
Viewed by 433
Abstract
Addressing the global shortage of freshwater resources necessitates the development of efficient and economical photothermal evaporation materials. Herein, an Fe/polyaniline/graphite felt (Fe/PANI/GF) composite was fabricated by combining electrochemical deposition and impregnation. The structural characteristics, photothermal conversion efficiency, and interfacial evaporation performance of the [...] Read more.
Addressing the global shortage of freshwater resources necessitates the development of efficient and economical photothermal evaporation materials. Herein, an Fe/polyaniline/graphite felt (Fe/PANI/GF) composite was fabricated by combining electrochemical deposition and impregnation. The structural characteristics, photothermal conversion efficiency, and interfacial evaporation performance of the composite were systematically investigated. Results demonstrate that Fe/PANI/GF exhibits a remarkably high solar absorption rate of 95% across the 300–2000 nm wavelength range. Under 1 kW m−2 illumination, the surface temperature of Fe/PANI/GF rapidly increased from ambient temperature to 60.3 °C within 5 min. The composite achieved an evaporation rate of 2.05 kg m−2 h−1, corresponding to an interfacial evaporation efficiency of 70.3%. This exceptional performance is attributed to the synergistic effect between the broad-spectrum light absorption of PANI and the enhanced light absorption induced by Fe coordination, which collectively promote the photothermal conversion process. This study provides valuable insights for the development of high-performance solar interfacial evaporation materials. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanofiber and Nanomaterial Composites: Energy, Healthcare and Beyond)
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