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Nanomaterials
Special Issues
Nanostructured Protective Coatings and Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials
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Nanostructured Protective Coatings and Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials

A special issue of Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991). This special issue belongs to the section "Nanofabrication and Nanomanufacturing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 10 September 2026 | Viewed by 1606

Editors

Dr. Jicheng Ding

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Materials Science and Engineering, Anhui University of Technology, Maanshan 243002, China
Interests: PVD hard coating technology; carbon-based film
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Hongbo Ju

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Material Science and Engineering, Jiangsu University of Science and Technology, Zhenjiang 212003, China
Interests: PVD; hard coatings; tribological properties
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Surface degradation caused by wear, corrosion, oxidation, and extreme environments significantly limits the reliability and service life of engineering components. In recent years, nanostructured surface protective materials have attracted extensive attention due to their remarkable ability to enhance mechanical, tribological, and chemical stability. By tailoring microstructure, composition, and interfaces at the nanoscale, advanced surface engineering technologies provide effective strategies for improving the performance of structural materials under demanding conditions.

Various coating and surface modification technologies have been developed to fabricate nanostructured protective layers, including physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), thermochemical treatments such as nitriding and carburizing, as well as advanced additive or cladding techniques such as laser cladding and thermal spraying. These technologies enable precise control of coating architecture, phase composition, and interface bonding, leading to significant improvements in hardness, wear resistance, corrosion resistance, and thermal stability.

This Special Issue aims to present recent advances in the design, fabrication, characterization, and applications of nanostructured surface protective materials. Original research articles and comprehensive reviews focusing on fundamental mechanisms, advanced fabrication methods, and emerging applications are welcome.

The scope includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

  • PVD and CVD protective coatings;
  • Atomic layer deposition thin films;
  • Thermochemical surface treatments (nitriding, carburizing);
  • Laser cladding and additive surface engineering;
  • Thermal spraying coatings for wear and corrosion protection;
  • Tribology and corrosion behavior of surface coatings.

Dr. Jicheng Ding
Prof. Dr. Hongbo Ju
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

  • surface engineering
  • nanostructured coatings
  • vapor deposition thin films
  • thermal spraying and laser cladding
  • thermochemical surface treatments
  • tribology and corrosion resistance
 
 

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 9161 KB  
Article
Tailoring Microstructure and Properties of Nitride Films: Manipulating Bombardment via Regulating Me+/Me2+ Ratios
by Xingguang Liu, Xin Zhao, Zheng Shu, Yansong Liu, Binhua Gui and Jun Zheng
Nanomaterials 2026, 16(12), 749; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano16120749 - 15 Jun 2026
Viewed by 153
Abstract
Film optimization using high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) currently faces challenges in process control, primarily due to its reliance on empirical trial-and-error adjustment of the macroscopic parameters as well as the insufficient understanding of the underlying mechanisms. To address these issues, this [...] Read more.
Film optimization using high power impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) currently faces challenges in process control, primarily due to its reliance on empirical trial-and-error adjustment of the macroscopic parameters as well as the insufficient understanding of the underlying mechanisms. To address these issues, this study adopts concentration ratios of monovalent ions over divalent ions of the same metallic element (i.e., Me+/Me2+) in plasma as a function of key controlled discharge parameters. A mass spectrometer was employed for the in situ diagnostics of ionic species in HiPIMS discharges of Cr, Ti, and Al targets. The influence of discharge parameters on Me+/Me2+ ratios was systematically investigated. Combined with film characterization, the correlations of discharge parameters, ion concentrations, microstructure evolution, and mechanical properties were established. Results demonstrated that Me+/Me2+ ratios could be tuned significantly by varying discharge parameters. Decreasing the Me+/Me2+ ratio suppressed growth of columnar grains and promoted film densification due to enhanced high-energy bombardment. This study reveals the dominant role of the charge state distribution of metallic ions in HiPIMS on the microstructure and properties of nitride films, thereby providing a novel approach to deposition-process optimization, which can also be used as guidance for studies on ternary as well as high-entropy nitride films. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Protective Coatings and Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials)
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12 pages, 2450 KB  
Article
Cr/AlCrNbSiTiN/AlCrNbSiTiO Gradient Nano-Multilayer Coatings with Excellent Solar Absorption and Photothermal Conversion Properties
by Qingyu Wang, Sheng Liu, Shikun Liu, Yanxiong Xiang and Changwei Zou
Nanomaterials 2026, 16(12), 713; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano16120713 - 10 Jun 2026
Viewed by 231
Abstract
High-entropy alloys exhibit a broad light-responsive spectrum, spanning the ultraviolet to visible range, and their light absorption coefficient is significantly higher than that of traditional binary oxides. Cr/AlCrNbSiTiN/AlCrNbSiTiO gradient nano-multilayer coatings with excellent solar selective absorption properties are prepared using ion source enhanced [...] Read more.
High-entropy alloys exhibit a broad light-responsive spectrum, spanning the ultraviolet to visible range, and their light absorption coefficient is significantly higher than that of traditional binary oxides. Cr/AlCrNbSiTiN/AlCrNbSiTiO gradient nano-multilayer coatings with excellent solar selective absorption properties are prepared using ion source enhanced magnetron sputtering. The effects of thickness of the absorption layer of AlCrNbSiTiN (3/4/5 min, denoted as S-3/4/5) are systematically investigated. It is worth noting that nano-multilayer coatings of S-3, S-4, and S-5 exhibit nearly perfect absorption rates of 0.9847, 0.9888, and 0.9879, respectively. The TEM images shows clear interfaces between the various coating layers, exhibiting a gradient structure that combines nanocrystalline and amorphous characteristics. From the substrate to the surface, there is an increase in the content of nanocrystalline phases, coarsening of grain sizes, and a decrease in the amount of amorphous phases. The primary absorption layer of AlCrNbSiTiN displays a typical face-centered cubic nitride structure. The XPS analysis reveals that the high-valent oxides (Nb5+, Cr6+) ensure thermal stability, whereas mixed valence states of Cr3+/Cr6+ may enhance visible light absorption through multi-electron transitions. This study analyzes how both the thickness of absorbing layers and high-temperature annealing affect the optical properties and photothermal conversion performance of AlCrNbSiTiN-based high-entropy coatings, which provides valuable insights for developing high-performance selective absorbers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Protective Coatings and Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials)
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22 pages, 16136 KB  
Article
Anti-Corrosion Properties of Tantalum-Based Composite Films Prepared by Atomic Layer Deposition
by Ge Xu, Wei Yu, Minxuan Zhang, Fei Cai, Qiushun Zou, Jianheng Li, Jing Hu, Zhixin Wan and Shihong Zhang
Nanomaterials 2026, 16(11), 688; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano16110688 - 1 Jun 2026
Viewed by 461
Abstract
Reported herein is tantalum (Ta)-based film, including TaN, TaOx, composite TaOxNγ, multilayered TaN/TaOx-(5:5) and TaN/TaOx-(10:10), prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology via adjusting the sub-cycle of TaN and TaOx films. The [...] Read more.
Reported herein is tantalum (Ta)-based film, including TaN, TaOx, composite TaOxNγ, multilayered TaN/TaOx-(5:5) and TaN/TaOx-(10:10), prepared by atomic layer deposition (ALD) technology via adjusting the sub-cycle of TaN and TaOx films. The influence of different growth parameters on microstructure, crystal form, chemical bonding state and corrosion resistance of Ta-based films was systematically investigated. Representative results include the following: (1) The surface of the Ta-based films prepared by ALD is continuous, dense and smooth, and the root mean square roughness (Rq) of those are TaN: 0.74 nm, TaOx: 0.69 nm, TaOxNγ: 0.55 nm, TaN/TaOx-5:5: 0.56 nm and TaN/TaOx-10:10: 0.77 nm. (2) The TaN film presents a polycrystalline structure with good crystallinity, while the incorporation of oxygen significantly inhibits the crystallinity of the film. (3) Electrochemical tests in 3.5 wt.% NaCl solution and neutral salt spray experiments show that ALD deposition of Ta-based films can significantly improve the corrosion resistance of carbon steel substrates. The order of corrosion resistance of different films is TaOxNγ film > TaN/TaOx multilayer film > TaN film. Among them, the TaOxNγ film exhibited the most excellent corrosion resistance, with a charge transfer resistance (Rct) as high as 24.75 Ω·cm2 and a corrosion current density (Icorr) as low as 1.20 × 10−6 A/cm2, and no obvious rusting phenomenon was observed on the surface of that film after the 2 h neutral salt spray test. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Protective Coatings and Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials)
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22 pages, 4215 KB  
Article
Plasma–Induced Modification Mechanisms of PET Films: Correlated Evolution of Topographical Features and Surface Chemical States
by Yang Wang, Ying Yang, Jinlian Hu, Yuanyuan Lu, Xiaoyu Hao and Jun Zheng
Nanomaterials 2026, 16(10), 615; https://doi.org/10.3390/nano16100615 - 17 May 2026
Viewed by 426
Abstract
The effects of RF plasma treatments using different gases (Ar, O2, and N2) and processing parameters on the surface wettability of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films were systematically investigated. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X–ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed [...] Read more.
The effects of RF plasma treatments using different gases (Ar, O2, and N2) and processing parameters on the surface wettability of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) films were systematically investigated. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X–ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to characterize the evolution of surface topography and chemical composition. While all treatments enhanced hydrophilicity, the magnitude of improvement and the governing mechanisms were gas-dependent. Among them, O2 plasma treatment exhibited the most pronounced effect: under optimal conditions (20 W, 80 s), the water contact angle (WCA) was reduced to 3.7°, indicating a superhydrophilic surface. This enhancement was primarily attributed to a substantial increase in surface oxygen content (O/C ratio) and the incorporation of strongly polar oxygen-containing functional groups, such as C=O and COOH. N2 plasma offered moderate improvement via nitrogen-containing groups, while non-reactive Ar plasma relied primarily on physical etching, yielding the smallest enhancement. Analysis revealed that wettability evolution was dominated by increased polar surface energy from chemical functionalization, with surface roughness playing a synergistic role. These results demonstrate that optimizing plasma gas and parameters effectively controls PET wettability through the coupled regulation of surface chemistry and topography. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Protective Coatings and Surface Engineering for Advanced Materials)
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