Advanced Smart Materials for Sustainable Urban Development
A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Sustainable Urban and Rural Development".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 January 2026 | Viewed by 44
Special Issue Editors
Interests: materials; energy; computer science; IA
Interests: physics of materials; materials for storage and conversion of energy; metal hydrides; thermoelectric materials; magnetocaloric materials; photovoltaic materials; material synthesis; characterization; physical measurements and theoretical simulations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: material science; energy harvesting; materials for sensors mems and nems; piezoelectric materials; sensing and bio-sensing; self-feeding systems; health check of self-powered structures; vibration control of structures; modeling of ferroelectric materials and electrostrictive polymers; materials for energy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
The development of smart and sustainable cities relies on advanced materials designed for efficient infrastructure, energy management, and environmental resilience, and innovations in nanomaterials, functional coatings, and high-performance composites are essential for improving building materials, energy storage, and sensor technologies. The synthesis, characterization, and application of novel materials play critical roles in enhancing urban sustainability, durability, and efficiency.
This Special Issue will explore recent advancements in smart materials for urban applications, covering topics such as energy-efficient construction, self-healing materials, nanotechnology in infrastructure, and environmental impact reduction. This Special Issue welcomes original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that contribute to advancing the state-of-the-art in the synthesis, characterization, and applications of materials for smart and sustainable urban development. The volume aims to encourage interdisciplinary discussions and collaborations among researchers, engineers, and stakeholders from academia, industry, and government sectors, promoting the integration of advanced materials into urban infrastructure, energy management, and environmental sustainability. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to:
- Novel synthesis methods for smart and sustainable materials used in urban environments.
- Characterization techniques for evaluating the mechanical, thermal, and electronic properties of urban materials.
- Materials design and engineering for energy-efficient buildings, resilient infrastructure, and urban mobility.
- The structural, electrochemical, and functional properties of materials for urban applications.
- Emerging materials, such as nanomaterials, composites, and biomaterials, for smart cities.
- Applications of advanced materials in construction, energy storage, sensors, and smart transportation systems.
- Materials for urban energy solutions, including solar-integrated infrastructure, self-powered sensors, and energy harvesting technologies.
- The environmental and sustainability aspects of materials used in urban ecosystems.
- Technological advancements, challenges, and the future prospects of materials science in the development of next-generation cities.
Prof. Dr. Samira Touhtouh
Prof. El-Kebir Hlil
Prof. Abdeowahed Hajjaji
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. Sustainability 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 2400 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
- smart materials
- energy
- urban
- sensors
- smart cities
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