Functional Polymer Nanocomposites: Synthesis, Interface Engineering, and Advanced Applications
A Special Issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360) belonging to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2027 | Viewed by 84
Editor
Interests: nanostructure engineering; environmentally sustainable and multifunctional coatings; polymer composites; advanced materials characterization; corrosion protection; controlled release and environmentally oriented functional applications
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Polymer nanocomposites have become an important area of research over the last two decades because they offer opportunities to combine the versatility of polymeric matrices with the unique properties of nanoscale fillers. Although remarkable progress has been achieved, producing materials with consistent performance still depends on overcoming two closely related challenges: developing reliable synthesis routes and controlling the interactions at the polymer–filler interface. These interfacial phenomena largely determine filler dispersion, stress transfer, long-term stability, and ultimately the overall performance of the nanocomposite.
This Special Issue welcomes original research papers and review articles that explore recent developments in the design, synthesis, characterization, and application of functional polymer nanocomposites. Particular attention will be given to studies that improve the understanding of interface engineering and demonstrate how it influences material properties and application performance.
Topics of interest include, but are not limited to the following:
- Synthesis approaches for polymer nanocomposites, including in-situ polymerization, solution and melt processing, sol–gel methods, solvent casting, and layer-by-layer assembly;
- Surface modification and functionalization of nanofillers, such as clays, layered double hydroxides, nanoparticles, nanotubes, and graphene-based materials, to improve compatibility with polymer matrices;
- Relationships between interfacial structure and the resulting mechanical, thermal, barrier, and other functional properties;
- Multifunctional films and coatings with properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, UV-protective, or anticorrosive performance;
- Applications in packaging, protective coatings, sensors, drug delivery, energy storage, and environmental remediation;
- Sustainable approaches, including the use of bio-based or waste-derived fillers and environmentally friendly synthesis strategies.
By bringing together contributions from different research areas, this Special Issue aims to provide an up-to-date perspective on advances in polymer nanocomposites, ranging from fundamental studies of interfacial phenomena to application-driven developments with practical relevance.
Dr. Cristina Neves
Guest Editor
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-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers 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 2700 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
- polymer nanocomposites
- nanofillers
- interface engineering
- functional coatings
- nanocomposite films
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