Next-Generation Smart Polymers: Stimuli-Responsive and Covalent Adaptable Materials for Sustainable Technologies
A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Smart and Functional Polymers".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026
Special Issue Editor
Interests: polymers; smart materials; UV curing; biobased; sustainability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue focuses on the design and advancement of next-generation smart polymeric materials that combine stimuli-responsiveness with structural adaptability and sustainability. Smart materials are broadly defined by their ability to respond dynamically to external stimuli such as temperature, light, pH, pressure, or electromagnetic fields. In recent years, this concept has expanded to include materials that not only respond to but can also adapt, heal, or be reconfigured through reversible chemical mechanisms.
In this context, covalent adaptable networks (CANs) represent a new frontier in smart materials. By incorporating dynamic covalent bonds, CANs offer a unique combination of mechanical robustness and reprocessability, enabling properties like self-healing, recyclability, and reconfigurability—traits essential for extending material lifetimes and reducing environmental impact.
Together, stimulus-responsive polymers and CANs form a continuum of intelligent materials capable of real-time responses and long-term adaptability. However, significant challenges remain, including complex synthesis routes, limited responsiveness under diverse conditions, stability in demanding environments, scalability, and the integration of sustainable practices.
This Special Issue invites contributions that push the boundaries of smart material design, addressing the chemical, functional, and ecological dimensions necessary to realize multifunctional, adaptive materials for future technologies.
Dr. Camilla Noè
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 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
- smart materials
- sustainability
- polymers
- composites
- CAN
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