Heat and Mass Transfer in Nanoporous Media

A special issue of Thermo (ISSN 2673-7264).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 March 2026

Special Issue Editors

School of Automotive and Traffic Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
Interests: porous media; heat and mass transfer in fuel cell system; cross-scale multiphase flow; phase change heat transfer; hydrothermal management

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Materials Science, Energy, and Nano-Engineering MSN Department, Mohammed VI Polytechnic University, Hay Moulay Rachid, Lot 660, Ben Guerir 43150, Morocco
Interests: thermodynamics; fluid phase equilibrium; structure–properties relationships; various thermodynamic-based models; process simulation models
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Heat and mass transfer in nanoporous media represents a critical frontier in thermal sciences, with far-reaching applications in energy, environmental, and material technologies. These media—characterized by high surface area and nanoscale pore confinement—exhibit unique and often non-classical transport behaviors. They are central to the performance of systems such as catalysts, adsorbents, membranes, and porous geological formations.

In nanoporous systems, thermal transport is governed by mechanisms that extend beyond conventional conduction and radiation. Phonon scattering, boundary effects, and deviations from Fourier’s law become significant. Similarly, mass transport is shaped by phenomena like Knudsen diffusion, surface diffusion, capillary flow, and adsorption–desorption kinetics, which are amplified under nanoconfinement.

Understanding the coupled behavior of heat and mass transfer in these environments is crucial for optimizing functional performance in applications including thermal insulation, phase change energy storage, water purification, and gas separation. Recent advancements in multiscale modeling, imaging techniques, and nanoscale diagnostics have accelerated progress in this area.

This Special Issue invites cutting-edge contributions that deepen our understanding of transport phenomena in nanoporous systems. Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Fundamental heat and mass transfer mechanisms in nanoporous media;
  • Modeling and simulation at the nano-to-microscale interface;
  • Experimental investigations of thermal and mass transport in confined geometries;
  • Coupled transport in hybrid porous structures or functionalized materials;
  • Influence of surface chemistry, porosity, and morphology on transfer properties;
  • Applications in energy storage, environmental remediation, and membrane technologies.

Dr. Sheng Xu
Prof. Dr. Johan Jacquemin
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. Thermo 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 1200 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

  • nanoporous media
  • heat transfer
  • mass transport
  • Knudsen diffusion
  • surface effects
  • thermal insulation
  • phase change storage
  • confined flow
  • energy systems
  • nanoscale transport phenomena

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers

This special issue is now open for submission.
Back to TopTop