Sustainable Polymers for Energy Storage and Delivery
A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Applications".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 225
Special Issue Editors
Interests: magnetic nanomaterials; electronic nanomaterials; solid-state nanostructures; liquid-state nanomaterials; magnetic liquid metals; ferrofluids; magnetic fluids; smart materials; flexible electronics; stretchable devices; recyclable nanomaterials; sustainable nanotechnology; multifunctional nanostructures; environmental applications; biomedical applications; energy harvesting; sensing and actuation; spintronics; green fabrication
Interests: polymer chemistry; sustainable energy systems; physics and chemistry of nanomaterials; thermodynamics; transport properties; liquid-metal composites; additive manufacturing; 3D-printed electronics; stretchable batteries; electrochemical devices; mechanical reliabilit
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue will explore cutting-edge advances in polymer science that drive the development of next-generation energy storage and delivery technologies. Polymeric materials are central to enabling safe, high-performance electrochemical systems, serving as solid or gel electrolytes, ion-transport membranes, redox-active components, flexible substrates, binders, encapsulants, and multifunctional interfaces across batteries, supercapacitors, fuel cells, and hybrid devices.
A core focus of this Special Issue is sustainable, green polymer systems, including biodegradable, bio-derived, recyclable, and low-carbon footprint materials engineered for electrochemical applications. We welcome contributions on eco-friendly synthesis routes, circular-materials design, and polymer architectures developed with long-term environmental compatibility in mind.
This Special Issue also invites research on diverse polymer states, spanning conventional solid-state systems, viscoelastic and semi-solid platforms, and polymer–liquid metal (LM) hybrids or liquid-state polymer systems. These emerging classes integrate liquid metals or fluidic conductive phases with polymer matrices to overcome challenges in flexibility, stretchability, self-healing, and thermal/electrical management. Studies on LM-enabled polymer electrolytes, polymer/LM composites, and LM-driven multifunctional interfaces are strongly encouraged.
Additionally, we highlight printable, processable, and scalable polymer platforms—including 3D/4D printing, extrusion-based methods, fiber spinning, in situ curing, and additive manufacturing—for creating complex architectures and sustainable fabrication pathways for energy devices. In alignment with global sustainability priorities, this Special Issue emphasizes the 4R framework—Resilient, Repairable (self-healable), Recyclable, and Renewable—of polymer systems to reduce material waste, extend device lifetimes, and support circular, environmentally responsible energy technologies.
Both fundamental and applied studies are welcome, including:
- Structure–property–performance relationships;
- Ion/electron transport mechanisms;
- Polymer–electrode interfacial design;
- Durability, recyclability, and biodegradation;
- Device integration and scalable manufacturing.
The goal is to collect transformative research that demonstrates how polymer innovation—solid, soft, green, printable, or liquid-state—can redefine the landscape of safe, flexible, high-performance, and sustainable energy storage and delivery systems.
Dr. Abdollah Hajalilou
Dr. Elahe Parvini
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. 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 electrolytes
- gel and solid polymer electrolytes
- green and sustainable polymers
- recyclable and biodegradable polymers
- liquid metal–polymer composites
- liquid-state conductive materials
- soft and stretchable polymers
- printable and 3D-printed polymers
- additive manufacturing of energy devices
- redox-active polymers
- polymer nanocomposites
- polymer-based separators and membranes
- flexible and wearable energy storage
- self-healing polymer systems
- interface engineering in polymer materials
- polymer substrates for LM-based devices
- environmentally friendly fabrication
- advanced polymer processing
- 4R polymer systems (resilient, repairable, recyclable, renewable)
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