Advances in Plasma Processes of Polymers
A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Smart and Functional Polymers".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 43
Special Issue Editors
Interests: non-thermal plasma; plasma reactors; plasma applications; materials engineering; electrical metrology; electrospinning process; polymer nanofibres; applied electrostatics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: gel electrolytes; textile coating and functionalization; medical textiles; biomaterials; nanomaterials; plasma functionalization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Deaer Colleagues,
This Special Issue reports on advances in plasma and polymer science by linking plasma source engineering with application-driven materials performance. It discusses polymer-targeted plasma generation—low-pressure RF/microwave and inductively coupled discharges, dielectric-barrier discharges, atmospheric pressure plasma jets and aerosol-plasma reactors—as well as detailed methodologies and processing conditions (continuous or pulsed operation, tailored gas chemistries, pressure and power density, residence time, substrate temperature) with an emphasis on increasing plasma density and electron temperature to control deposition, cross-linking, and functionality. Key topics include surface modification and activation that introduce polar groups, increase surface energy, tune roughness, and increase adhesion while maintaining bulk properties. Plasma polymerisation is emerging as a dry route to ultra-thin, highly cross-linked, hole-free, adherent films. This Special Issue highlights plasma-modified electrospun nanofibres and polymer nanoparticles for filtration, sensing, catalysis, tissue engineering, and controlled release. Comprehensive characterisation (e.g., XPS/FTIR, contact angle, AFM/SEM, mechanical, electrical, barrier, and cytocompatibility tests) quantitatively combines process parameters with structure–properties. Finally, biodegradable polymers are being adapted through plasma processing for medical implants and antimicrobial coatings, as well as for environmentally and agriculturally relevant applications such as remediation and nutrient delivery, highlighting scalable and sustainable pathways from plasma processing to functional polymer technologies.
Dr. Tomasz Czapka
Dr. Andrea Zille
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. 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
- plasma polymerisation
- plasma treatment
- plasma surface modification
- polymer activation
- electrospun nanofibers
- materials characterisation
- biodegradable polymers
- functional polymers
- electronic/biomedical applications
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