Innovative Polymer-Associated Self-Healing Materials: From Design to Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Self-healing materials based on smart polymers represent a rapidly advancing frontier in materials science, offering the ability to autonomously repair damage and extend the lifespan of structural and functional systems. This Special Issue, ‘Innovative Polymer-Associated Self-Healing Materials: From Design to Applications’, highlights recent breakthroughs in the molecular design, synthesis, and application of polymeric materials capable of mimicking biological healing processes. Contributions explore diverse mechanisms such as reversible covalent bonds, supramolecular interactions, microcapsule-based healing, and vascular networks integrated within polymer matrices. Emphasis is placed on stimuli-responsive behavior—triggered by heat, light, moisture, or mechanical stress—that enables on-demand repair in coatings, composites, electronics, and biomedical devices. The Issue also addresses challenges in characterizing healing efficiency, scalability, and long-term performance under real-world conditions. By bridging fundamental chemistry with practical engineering needs, this collection showcases how functional, self-healing, smart polymers are paving the way for sustainable, durable, and adaptive technologies across aerospace, healthcare, soft robotics, and infrastructure sectors.

Prof. Dr. Xianfeng Wang
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.