New Research Trends and Developments in Nanostructured Materials: Thin Films and Nanotechnology

Due to their distinct, size-dependent physicochemical features, nanostructured thin films have garnered a great deal of attention in recent years. As a result, they have been used as promising materials for a variety of applications, such as electrocatalysis, smart coatings, efficient drug delivery systems, and very sensitive sensors. Nanostructured films have been constructed and produced by adjusting their atomic-molecular 2D and/or 3D aggregation, thickness, crystallinity, and porosity, as well as their optical, mechanical, catalytic, and conductive properties, depending on the applications and the deposition method. Contrarily, there are unanswered questions regarding how the creation of nanomaterials and their daily use may impact the environment and human health. Recently, a great deal of work has been put into the development of nanomaterials that use a variety of tactics to protect, support, and govern the environment, in addition to preventing nanotechnologies and nanomaterials from contributing to environmental contamination.

Dear Colleagues,

Nearly every industry has been impacted by nanotechnology, which has astounded the world by opening up a wide range of potential uses in these industries. Nanostructured materials are chosen over their macrostructure counterparts because of their distinctive physical and chemical characteristics as well as improved performance. In the food sector, nanotechnology has completely changed how food is prepared, processed, tested, and packaged. Advanced packaging based on nanotechnology has made it feasible to transport food products securely without compromising their quality, flavor, or nutrition. Additionally, it shields food from contamination and maintains their mechanical, physiological, physical, and chemical qualities. To provide better, active, bio-based, and smart/intelligent packaging for food, several nanomaterials have been used in food packaging. By using sensors to detect contamination, gases, moisture, temperature, and other food characteristics, intelligent/smart packaging assures the safety of the food it contains. As opposed to conventional plastic packaging, bio-based packaging uses biodegradable and biocompatible packaging materials to safeguard against any form of food spoilage. However, further work is required to address difficulties with bio-based packaging materials’ costs and other property-related issues.

This Special Issue will attempt to cover recent developments in the design of nanostructured films with an emphasis on environmental issues (e.g., films which are optically or electrically sensitive to pollutants), in aspects such as the fabrication processes (e.g., low-power and low-cost technologies, the use of environmentally friendly solvents), the materials used (e.g., waste-recycled, bio-based, biodegradable, and natural materials), and the functions of thin films (e.g., controlled release of chemicals, mimicking of natural processes, energizing). The results of modeling and simulation can be applied to the many solar cell applications (DSSC, perovskite, etc.).

In this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Polymers;
• Composite materials;
• Thin films characterization;
• Mechanical properties;
• Nanomaterials;
• Measurements, characterization and applications;
• Mechanical engineering;
• Environment;
• Applied physics;
• Applied mathematics;
• Numerical analysis;
• Biology.

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Dr. Mohammed Rasheed
Dr. Mohammed Abdulhadi Sarhan
Guest Editors

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• nanotechnology
• physics of nanotechnology
• applied sciences
• composite materials
• polymers
• ceramics
• thin films and nanostructured materials
• environmental applications, environmental friendliness
• natural materials
• antibacterial and antimicrobial activity
• sensors and biosensors
• molecular biology and genetics
• clean energy
• dye-sensitized solar cells
• perovskite solar cells
• solar cell applications
• modeling and simulation
• mechanical engineering
• numerical analysis
• applied mathematics
• computer science and image processing
• optimal control
• fuzzy sets and fuzzy logic
• organic chemistry