polymers-logo

Journal Browser

Journal Browser

Polymeric Materials Based on Graphene Derivatives and Composites

A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Processing and Engineering".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 1655

Special Issue Editor


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Dipartimento di Scienze Matematiche e Informatiche, Scienze Fisiche e Scienze della Terra, MIFT, Università di Messina, V.le F. Stagno d’Alcontres 31, 98166 Messina, Italy
2. Nuclear Physics Institute, AS CR, 250 68 Rez, Czech Republic
Interests: ion lithography; laser matter interaction; material science; graphene-based material; nanoparticles; polymers
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over twenty years ago, graphene was discovered, and since then, the frontiers of polymer-related materials science have expanded in directions ranging from the development of techniques for producing polymer–graphene composites (including graphene, its derivatives, and compounds), their modification, characterization, and application fields. Graphene is a two-dimensional material made up of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycomb lattice. When incorporated into polymers, the intrinsic properties of graphene-based materials such as lightness, electrical and thermal conductivity, and transparency, make polymer-based composites promising for a wide range of applications.

Today, graphene, its compounds, and derivatives such as graphene oxide, reduced graphene, graphite, or ceramic, polymeric, and nanoparticle hybrids are generating enormous interest in the polymer field, although their practical applicability in polymers requires a deep understanding of their potential. This Special Issue invites original papers and reviews reporting on progress in the following areas:

  • Fabrication methods as polymer-based nanoparticles, polymer fibers, polymer scaffolds, polymer coatings, polymer films, or polymer bulk composites.
  • Surface modifications by chemical approach, laser, ion, electron, neutron beams, and X-ray irradiation of polymer–graphene systems.
  • Study of the chemical, electrical, thermal, and magnetic properties of polymer–graphene composites.
  • Applications such as patterning for lab-on-a-chip systems in polymer devices, the creation of nanoscale circuits in polymer-based electronics for wearable devices, water purification using polymer-based materials with graphene, antibacterial polymer materials, targeted release systems for drug delivery in polymer carriers, polymer-based biomarkers, enhancement of bioimaging in polymer systems, and the improvement of neuron or bone tissue growth using polymer–graphene composites.

Dr. Mariapompea Cutroneo
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.

Keywords

  • polymer–graphene composites
  • nanocomposites
  • flexible electronics
  • biomedical applications
  • graphene oxide

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

20 pages, 4456 KB  
Article
Enhanced Adsorption of Metformin Using Cu and ZnO Nanoparticles Anchored on Carboxylated Graphene Oxide
by Abeer H. Aljadaani, Amr A. Yakout and Hany Abdel-Aal
Polymers 2026, 18(1), 71; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym18010071 - 26 Dec 2025
Viewed by 425
Abstract
Pharmaceutical residues are increasingly emerging in global drinking water sources, posing serious ecological and public health challenges by altering the physicochemical balance of aquatic systems. Among available purification approaches, adsorption remains one of the most promising techniques due to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and [...] Read more.
Pharmaceutical residues are increasingly emerging in global drinking water sources, posing serious ecological and public health challenges by altering the physicochemical balance of aquatic systems. Among available purification approaches, adsorption remains one of the most promising techniques due to its simplicity, cost-effectiveness, and efficiency. In this work, a ternary nanocomposite of Cu- and ZnO-decorated carboxylated graphene oxide (Cu/ZnO@CGO) was synthesized and utilized for highly efficient and ultrafast removal of the antidiabetic drug metformin from aqueous environments. The adsorption mechanism arises from a synergistic combination of surface complexation on Cu nanoparticles, cation–π and π–π electron donor–acceptor interactions with the CGO aromatic structure, and hydrogen bonding through the amino groups of metformin and the oxygen-rich functional moieties of ZnO and CGO. The nanocomposite was thoroughly characterized using FTIR, XPS, XRD, SEM, HRTEM, and TGA analyses, confirming its well-defined hybrid structure. Unlike conventional single-phase or binary systems, the Cu/ZnO@CGO nanocomposite demonstrated remarkable cooperative effects that enhanced its performance through the integration of metal–ligand coordination, π–π stacking, cation–π forces, and hydrogen bonding. These interactions contributed to an outstanding adsorption capacity of 232.56 mg·g−1 and an exceptionally fast equilibrium time of only 25 min. Moreover, the material maintained excellent reusability, with merely a 4.1% decline in efficiency after five regeneration cycles, and achieved almost complete removal of metformin (99.7 ± 3.4%) from several real water samples, namely river, tap, and bottled water. The unique structural design of Cu/ZnO@CGO prevents CGO aggregation and facilitates efficient contaminant capture even at trace concentrations, establishing it as a highly competitive and sustainable adsorbent for pharmaceutical wastewater treatment. Overall, this study highlights a novel and rationally engineered nanocomposite whose synergistic surface chemistry bridges adsorption and detoxification, providing valuable insight into the next generation of multifunctional graphene-based materials for environmental remediation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Materials Based on Graphene Derivatives and Composites)
Show Figures

Figure 1

15 pages, 6539 KB  
Article
Physical Characterization of Multifiber Polyvinylidene Fluoride with the Addition of Hexafluoropropylene and/or Graphene Oxide
by Lorenzo Torrisi, Angela Malara, Antonio Fotia, Chiara Nunnari, Patrizia Frontera, Alfio Torrisi, Gabriele Salvato, Letteria Silipigni and Mariapompea Cutroneo
Polymers 2025, 17(22), 3037; https://doi.org/10.3390/polym17223037 - 16 Nov 2025
Viewed by 923
Abstract
Multifiber polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a thermoplastic polymer, was produced as a one-dimensional nanostructure via the electrospinning technique. Due to the peculiar properties attributed to the nanoscale fiber dimension, PVDF material, as pure, and with the addition of hexafluoropropylene (HFP) and/or graphene oxide (GO), [...] Read more.
Multifiber polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), a thermoplastic polymer, was produced as a one-dimensional nanostructure via the electrospinning technique. Due to the peculiar properties attributed to the nanoscale fiber dimension, PVDF material, as pure, and with the addition of hexafluoropropylene (HFP) and/or graphene oxide (GO), was thoroughly characterized in terms of morphology, density, optical and electrical properties, surface wettability, mechanical resistance, and other physical characteristics. PVDF, with a multifiber surface, with or without the addition of other elements, has been demonstrated to have a strong capacity to absorb high concentrations of gases, water, nanoparticles, and other substances. The material’s dielectric behavior and soft and shock-absorbing polymer properties make it ideal for biocompatible applications, which will be showcased and discussed in this work. A detailed comparison was made between bulk PVDF, multifiber PVDF, and PVDF containing HFP and/or GO, highlighting the changes in polymer properties. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Polymeric Materials Based on Graphene Derivatives and Composites)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop