Symmetry in Soft and Colloidal Materials
A special issue of Symmetry (ISSN 2073-8994). This special issue belongs to the section "Engineering and Materials".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026
Special Issue Editor
Interests: lignin; nanomaterials; renewable materials; photoluminescence; photochemistry; hydrogels
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
This Special Issue focuses on the profound role of symmetry in determining the structure, properties, and dynamics of soft and colloidal materials. Soft matter, which includes liquid crystals, polymers, gels, colloids, and biological materials, is characterized by mesoscopic structures and low energy scales, making it highly sensitive to symmetry principles. Contributions are sought that explore how various forms of symmetry—such as translational, rotational, chiral, and discrete symmetries—govern phase transitions, self-assembly processes, and the resulting macroscopic behavior of these complex systems. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the symmetry analysis of colloidal crystals and quasicrystals, symmetry breaking in pattern formation, the influence of chirality on molecular and supra-molecular ordering, and the role of symmetry in the design of new functional soft materials. We welcome original research, comprehensive reviews, and perspective articles from theoretical, computational, and experimental studies.
Dr. Ho Yin Tse
Guest Editor
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. Symmetry is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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
- soft matter
- colloids
- symmetry breaking
- self-assembly
- liquid crystals
- chirality
- mesoscopic structure
- pattern formation
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