Design and Application of Self-Healing Polymer Materials

Dear Colleagues,

The design and application of self-healing polymer materials represent a forefront area in polymer science. Its primary goal is to endow polymer materials with prolonged lifespan, enhanced reliability, and improved sustainability. At the design level, researchers introduce dynamic covalent bonds (e.g., transesterification, disulfide bonds, imine bonds), non-covalent interactions (e.g., hydrogen bonding, metal coordination), or extrinsic design strategies such as microcapsules to construct polymer materials capable of self-healing triggered by stimuli such as heat, light, or moisture. On the application front, such materials are gradually achieving the transition from laboratory research to engineering and practical implementation. For instance, in flexible electronic devices, self-healing polymers can restore conductive pathways and matrix integrity; self-healing polymers also demonstrate significant potential in biomedical applications, soft robotics, aerospace, and other fields.

This Special Issue aims to focus on the structural design and applied research of self-healing polymers. We invite researchers in this field to submit manuscripts showcasing the latest breakthroughs. Topics may include, but are not limited to, the following: design of novel self-healing polymers, characterization of self-healing mechanisms, exploration of self-healing materials in specific application scenarios, and industrialization-oriented structural design and manufacturing strategies for self-healing polymers.

Prof. Dr. Yanfeng Zhang
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-blind 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.