Nanotechnology in Natural Fibers and Natural Fiber-Reinforced Polymer Biocomposites: Advances and Multifunctional Applications

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

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 March 2026 | Viewed by 95

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Advanced and Sustainable Engineering Materials Laboratory (ASEMlab), Department of Manufacturing and Civil Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 2815 Gjøvik, Norway
Interests: natural fibers; natural fiber composites; biocomposites; nanocomposites; nanomaterials; environmental ageing; textile materials; circular economy; recycling & reuse

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Guest Editor
Advanced and Sustainable Engineering Materials Laboratory (ASEMlab), Department of Manufacturing and Civil Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 2815 Gjøvik, Norway
Interests: smart features of polymer composites; natural (green) materials; recycling; sustainability & durability aspects in aerospace; energy; automotive and infrastructure applications (e.g., GKN Aerospace, Hexagon (Composites), ACITURRI, Kongsberg, Suzlon)
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanotechnology has emerged as a transformative force in the development of natural fibers and natural fiber-reinforced polymer biocomposites, enabling substantial improvements in mechanical, thermal, electrical, and barrier properties while also introducing novel functionalities. Recent progress in nano-modification, nano-treatment, or nano-functionalization has facilitated the creation of high-performance, sustainable biocomposite materials with broad applicability across sectors such as automotive, aerospace, civil infrastructure, energy, electronics, and biomedical engineering.

Over the past decade, natural fibers and their polymer-based biocomposites have attracted growing interest from both academia and industry due to their potential to replace conventional materials and contribute to environmental sustainability, particularly by mitigating the environmental impact of end-of-life (EoL) waste.

This Special Issue aims to showcase cutting-edge research on the synthesis, processing, characterization, and performance optimization of nano-enabled natural fibers, textiles, biomaterials, polymers, and biocomposites. We invite contributions that explore innovative fabrication techniques, multifunctional property enhancement, environmental durability, aging behavior, circular economy principles, recycling strategies, and emerging applications. Manuscripts that bridge fundamental science with scalable manufacturing approaches for real-world implementation, emphasizing sustainability and multifunctionality, are especially encouraged.

We welcome original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and short communications on topics including but not limited to the following:

  • Nano-functionalization and surface treatment of natural fibers and textiles;
  • Synthesis and characterization of nanomaterials from biomass or natural fibers;
  • Valorization of natural fibers through nanotechnology;
  • Nano-modification, processing, and characterization of natural fiber-reinforced polymer composites;
  • Integration of nanomaterials in bio-based polymers for advanced composite development;
  • Fabrication and optimization of nanocellulosic fiber-based biocomposites;
  • Environmental durability and aging of nano-engineered biocomposites or polymer composites;
  • Enhancement of multifunctional properties via nanotechnology;
  • Circular economy strategies, including recycling and reuse of nano-engineered natural fiber composites;
  • Advanced applications of nano-engineered natural fibers, biocomposites, or polymer composites across industries.

Dr. Subrata Chandra Das
Prof. Dr. Sotirios A. Grammatikos
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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

  • nanomodification
  • nano-engineering
  • nano-functionalization
  • nanobiomaterials
  • nanofibers
  • natural fibers
  • natural fiber reinforced polymer composites
  • nano-biocomposites
  • nano-textiles
  • synthesis or fabrication
  • cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs)
  • characterization
  • advanced and emerging applications
  • circular economy
  • recycling and reuse
  • sustainability

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Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
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