Advances in Metal Ion Research and Applications
A special issue of Surfaces (ISSN 2571-9637).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2026) | Viewed by 1488
Special Issue Editors
Interests: materials physics; metal–ligand interactions; surface–metal interactions; computational metal modeling; ion dynamics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: developing and integrating advanced computational methods such as density functional theory (DFT); kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC); ab initio and force field-based molecular dynamics (MDs); and machine learning (ML) across the interdisciplinary fields of physics; materials science, chemistry, and energy environments
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Metal ions are ubiquitously present in nature and play critical roles in numerous physical, chemical, and biological processes. Their unique characteristics, particularly their positive charge, confer distinctive chemical reactivity and coordination properties. These properties enable metal ions to participate in a wide range of interactions, making them indispensable in various fields such as environmental remediation, catalysis, energy conversion, biomedical applications, nanotechnology, materials science, agriculture, optics, and electronics.
The study of metal ions and their interactions is vital for advancing our understanding of the underlying mechanisms that govern catalytic, environmental, and biological processes. The ability to manipulate metal ion behavior has led to innovations in multiple disciplines, driving scientific progress in areas ranging from efficient energy storage/conversion to the development of advanced materials and therapeutic agents. The diverse and versatile nature of metal ions continues to inspire significant research efforts, bridging fundamental science and applied technology.
This Special Issue aims to explore the diverse roles and applications of metal ions across various scientific and technological domains. We seek to highlight cutting-edge research that enhances our understanding of the chemical, physical, and biological behaviors of metal ions, with a particular focus on their interactions with other molecules, materials, and environments. This collection of articles will contribute to advancing our knowledge in key areas such as catalysis, environmental protection, biomedical applications, and nanotechnology.
In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome to be submitted. Research areas may include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Metal ion-based materials for energy storage (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors);
- Biological and biomedical applications of metal ions (e.g., drug delivery, imaging agents, enzyme mimicry);
- Metal ions in environmental remediation and pollution control (e.g., water treatment, desalination, CO2 capture);
- Metal ions in catalytic processes and energy conversion (e.g., electrochemical reactions, fuel cells, hydrogenation);
- Metal ion interactions with nanomaterials for sensing and diagnostics;
- Development of novel methods for metal ion detection and characterization;
- Advances in the synthesis and characterization of metal ion-based nanomaterials;
- Computational modeling of metal ion behavior in materials and biological systems;
- Coordination chemistry and molecular interactions of metal ions in complex systems;
- Advances in the understanding of metal ion interactions in materials science and electronics.
We look forward to receiving your contributions and to collaborating on this exciting exploration of the diverse roles of metal ions in modern science and technology.
You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Inorganics.
Dr. Liuhua Mu
Dr. Xiaoyan Li
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. Surfaces is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly 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 1600 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
- water treatment
- metal complexes
- metal ion detection
- surface interactions
- nanomaterial design
- catalytic mechanisms
- biomedical applications
- ligand-metal interactions
- environmental remediation
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