Advances in Fluorescent and Colorimetric Sensors for Detecting Ions and Neutral Molecules

Dear Colleagues,

The necessity of understanding the chemical nature of matter emerges not only from scientific curiosity but also from the profound implications that such knowledge carries for human health, safety, and the environment. A lack of understanding regarding the chemical composition of substances can lead to accidents, ranging from environmental contamination to damage to human health. On the other hand, a deeper knowledge of chemical compositions not only ensures safety but also drives scientific and technological progress, enabling the development of new materials and innovations that enhance our daily lives.

Over time, notable progress has been made in the field of chemical sensors, with a particular emphasis on chemosensors. These devices, distinguished by their high sensitivity, selectivity, and adaptability, have become increasingly relevant for addressing analytical demands in diverse areas, including healthcare, environmental monitoring, food quality assurance, biological applications, and industrial processes.

Although many advances in this field have been made in the last few decades, the journey continues as there are still countless chemical species and processes to be monitored using sensors. Furthermore, these sensors still need to be improved to become increasingly efficient.

In this context, it is our pleasure to introduce this Special Issue of Sensors, entitled "Advances in Fluorescent and Colorimetric Sensors for Detecting Ions and Neutral Molecules" dedicated to presenting recent progress in chemosensor research, embracing molecular design, novel materials, innovative sensing principles, and advanced strategies for data acquisition and analysis. This collection aims to summarise recent advances in fluorescent and colorimetric sensors and highlight future directions to boost their scientific and technological impact.

This Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, the following topics:

• Fluorescent and colorimetric sensors in general: materials, nanomaterials, small molecules, polymers, MOFs, etc.;
• Chemosensors, chemodosimeters, molecular logic gates as optical devices, etc.;
• Optical sensors for detection of chemical species in general: ions, molecules, metabolites, etc.;
• Optical sensors for monitoring physical parameters: humidity, temperature, etc.;
• Biological applications of optical chemical sensors: biosensors, biomarkers, diagnostics, bioimaging, enzyme activity, biomolecules.

You are invited to submit original and review articles to contribute to a Special Issue that will address the current state of the art in the field of optical chemical sensors.

Dr. Francielly T. Souto
Dr. Gleiston Goncalves Dias
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 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. Sensors 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 2600 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.