Surface Modification and Functionalization of Polymers

Dear Colleagues,

Polymers, a large class of materials, are particularly important in our daily life. The application of polymers is involved in but not limited to the fields of biomaterials and biomedical devices, energy materials, environmental materials, optical materials, engineering materials, etc. Polymers used for these purposes are mostly selected based on their bulk mechanical properties rather than on the suitability of their surface properties. However, the interfacial properties of polymer materials, including both chemical composition and physical morphology, greatly affect their efficiency in applications. In some cases, polymer materials even fail in practical applications without surface functionalization. For example, the adsorption of blood proteins on the unmodified surfaces of implant devices initiates a cascade of biological responses.

Considering the high requirements of the surface modification and functionalization of polymers, we urgently need to better understand the interfacial behaviors between polymer materials and their application environment. Moreover, the development of novel approaches to modify polymer surfaces with desired surface characters is required to meet the growing demand of the applications.

Therefore, the editors are pleased to launch this Special Issue and invite researchers to contribute their reviews and original papers in the field of the surface modification and functionalization of polymers. Potential topics cover but are not restricted to the following:

• Surface modification technologies of polymer materials;
• Functional polymers with designed interfacial properties;
• Surface patterning technologies on polymer materials;
• Technologies for controlling surface morphology;
• Stimuli-responsive surfaces;
• Superhydrophilic, superhydrophilic, and slippery surfaces;
• Interfacial interactions between polymer materials and their application environment;
• Characterization of the surfaces and interfaces of functional polymers.

Dr. Qiang Wei
Prof. Linxian Li
Prof. Hui Zhao
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.