Coatings | Editor’s Choice Articles in the First Half of 2026 in the “Bioactive Coatings and Biointerfaces” Section

We are delighted to present a list of Editor’s Choice Articles in the first half of 2026, which will be displayed at the top of the Coatings (ISSN 2079-6412) homepage. These papers highlight recent advances in biodegradable polymer films, functional biomaterials, food-preserving edible coatings, and microwave-based microbial detection strategies for corrosion prevention. These Editor’s Choice articles cover fundamental mechanistic investigation, performance optimization, technical innovation, and industrial applicability of various advanced bioactive and bio-based coatings and thin-film materials. We believe that these outstanding findings offer valuable references for global researchers engaged in coating materials, surface engineering, and related interdisciplinary fields.

1. “Biodegradable Polymer Films Based on Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose and Blends with Zein and Investigation of Their Potential as Active Packaging Material”
   by Sofia Milenkova, Maria Marudova and Asya Viraneva
   Coatings 2026, 16(1), 66; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16010066
   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/16/1/66
2. “Early-Stage Biofilm Prevention Enabled by Rapid Microwave Waveguide Detection of Planktonic Microorganisms in Diesel Fuel”
   by Andrzej Miszczyk, Michał Kuna and Anna Brillowska-Dąbrowska
   Coatings 2026, 16(1), 101; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16010101
   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/16/1/101
3. “Shrimp-Derived Chitosan for the Formulation of Active Films with Mexican Propolis: Physicochemical and Functional Evaluation of the Biomaterial”
   by Alejandra Delgado-Lozano, Pedro Alberto Ledesma-Prado, César Leyva-Porras, Lydia Paulina Loya-Hernández, César Iván Romo-Sáenz, Carlos Arzate-Quintana, Manuel Román-Aguirre, María Alejandra Favila-Pérez, Alva Rocío Castillo-González and Celia María Quiñonez-Flores
   Coatings 2026, 16(1), 124; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16010124
   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/16/1/124
4. “Effect of Sanitization, CMC Coating, and Chokeberry Extract on the Quality and Microbiological Stability of Fresh-Cut Sweet Peppers”
   by Anna Wrzodak, Justyna Szwejda-Grzybowska, Beata Kowalska and Jan Aleksander Zdulski
   Coatings 2026, 16(5), 615; https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings16050615
   Available online: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-6412/16/5/615