Research Progress in Nano Thin Film Technology

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Chemical Processes and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2026 | Viewed by 1164

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis; thin film; reaction engineering

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Guest Editor
Department of Chemial Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
Interests: heterogeneous catalysis; thin film; material synthesis

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Guest Editor
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
Interests: applied electrochemistry; thin film; separation process; extraction technology; metal recycling; corrosion; high entropy alloys; additive manufacturing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Advancements in nano-thin film technology over the past decade have led to significant improvements in material performance, with applications addressing problems related to energy and sustainability. Rational design and the development of fabrication and characterization processes have enabled thin film materials to become important in a broad range of applications, such as catalysis, energy storage, electronics, optics, and more. This Special Issue on “Research Progress in Nano Thin Film Technology” seeks experimental and theoretical papers focusing on recent progress in the design and synthesis of novel thin film materials, as well as advancements in their characterization and applications. Submissions of original research articles, review articles, and perspectives are welcomed. Topics include, but are not limited to:

  • Thin film synthesis processes;
  • Surface and interface properties;
  • Thin film design;
  • Crystallized and amorphous thin films;
  • Physical and chemical properties of thin films;
  • Thin film characterization;
  • Catalysis;
  • Energy storage;
  • Electronics;
  • Optics.

Dr. Ching-Yu Wang
Dr. Kai Shen
Dr. Prashant K. Sarswat
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • synthesis processes of thin films
  • surface and interface properties
  • design of thin films
  • crystallized and amorphous thin films
  • physical and chemical properties of thin films
  • characterization of thin films
  • catalysis
  • energy storage
  • electronics
  • optics

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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13 pages, 2798 KB  
Article
Selective Adsorption of Rare-Earth Elements: Loading and Stripping Behavior of the 2D MOF NCU-1 Across pH and Time Domains
by Easton Sadler, Michael L. Free, Gagan Kumar and Prashant K. Sarswat
Processes 2025, 13(12), 3839; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13123839 - 27 Nov 2025
Viewed by 707
Abstract
Rare-earth elements (REEs) are integral in a wide range of advanced technologies. Increasing demand for REEs, geopolitical tensions that threaten supply chains, and environmental strain due to extraction operations necessitate the development of new separation and purification methods. Novel selective adsorbents offer a [...] Read more.
Rare-earth elements (REEs) are integral in a wide range of advanced technologies. Increasing demand for REEs, geopolitical tensions that threaten supply chains, and environmental strain due to extraction operations necessitate the development of new separation and purification methods. Novel selective adsorbents offer a promising alternative to traditional precipitation and solvent extraction due to high selectivity, surface area, and reusability. This research provides insight into the loading and stripping behavior of the 2-D Metal–Organic Framework (MOF) ‘NCU-1’ over multiple pH conditions and time domains in chloride media. NCU-1 structures were synthesized using standard methods, then evaluated for kinetics and equilibria via batch testing. Pseudo-first-order kinetics was used to model the adsorption behavior of all REEs tested. The kinetic trends between elements support a mechanism in which sorption affinity and rate correlate with REE ionic radius and surface interaction strength. The preliminary evaluation presented here suggests that such units are highly useful for both solution purification and the separation of light rare-earth (LREE) from heavy rare-earth elements (HREE). Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress in Nano Thin Film Technology)
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