Advanced Functional Solid-State Materials

Materials Science and Engineering B (MSEB) aims at providing a leading international forum for material researchers across the disciplines of theory, experiment, and device applications. It publishes original studies and reviews related to the calculation, synthesis, processing, characterization, and understanding of advanced quantum materials such as low-dimensional materials, topological materials, meta-materials, correlated electronic materials and novel magnetic materials, as well as how these materials can be utilized in the construction of novel devices like quantum computers, quantum sensors, spintronics and optoelectronics devices. Studies including demonstrations of these devices are also welcome. To be published in MSEB, papers must meet the high scientific standards, contain original science and make significant advances within the field. Submissions will first be assessed by an editor before being sent to independent referees to ensure it meets the scope and standards of MSEB.

Special Issue on Low-dimensional nanomaterials in large-scale - Synthesis, properties, assembly, and scalable applications
Submission Date: 2025-01-01

Guest editors:

Assist. Prof. Joohoon Kang
Sungkyunkwan University, Seoul, South Korea
Email: joohoon@skku.edu
Areas of Expertise: Nanomaterials, 2D materials, Electronics, Optoelectronics, Sensors

Special issue information:

The aim of this special issue is to provide a forum to review cutting-edge nanomaterials technologies and largescale applications via various assembly techniques for achieving nanomaterial-based high-performance applications including electronics and energy. Research Articles and Reviews on emerging materials, synthesis, assembly, and processing, and novel manufacturing and evaluations of scalable applications in electronics and energy are strongly encouraged.

Manuscript submission information:

Submission Deadline: Jan 1, 2025

You are invited to submit your manuscript at any time before the submission deadline. For any inquiries about the appropriateness of contribution topics, please contact the guest editors. Their contact information is listed above. 

The journal’s submission platform (Editorial Manager®) will be available for receiving submissions to this Special Issue on Jul 1, 2024. Please refer to the Guide for Authors to prepare your manuscript, and select the article type of “VSI: LowD NanoMat at Scale" when submitting your manuscript online. Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage. 

Keywords:

    Nanomaterials
    Largescale
    Assembly
    Electronics
    Energy

Special Issue on Advances in Solid Oxide Cells
Submission Date: 2025-01-31

Solid oxide cells (SOCs) have demonstrated potential as a solution to energy and environmental issues. In the past decade, exceptional research has been conducted to accelerate the advancement of SOCs. This special issue compiles research articles and review papers that cover all aspects of SOCs. Experimental studies and/or theoretical calculations can be employed to cover the topic from materials to the final SOC system, demonstrating the progress of the field.

Guest editors:

Prof. Lei Bi
University of South China, School of Resource and Environment and Safety Engineering, Hengyang, China
Email: lei.bi@usc.edu.cn

Dr. Hailu Dai
Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng, China

Special issue information:

Solid oxide cells (SOCs) have garnered significant attention in recent years due to their potential for energy conversion and storage. The fuel cell mode of SOCs is capable of producing electricity with high efficacy when there is a shortage of electricity. The electrolysis mode can be employed to store excess electricity in the form of fuel during periods of electricity surplus. Consequently, the field of SOC research has experienced significant growth over the past decade. Many exceptional research endeavors have been conducted in materials investigation and SOC systems. In contrast to conventional SOCs that utilize oxygen-ion conducting electrolytes, SOCs that utilize proton-conducting electrolytes have been proposed in recent years, and they now play a significant role in the SOC family. Furthermore, the SOC research has implemented advanced fabrication techniques, theoretical simulations, and characterization methods. All of these activities facilitate the development of SOCs. 

This special issue aims to provide a platform for scientists in this field to present their most recent research findings and provide summaries of the development of SOCs. Review papers and research articles are both encouraged. The topics of this special issue include, but are not restricted to:

    Key materials for SOCs, including electrolytes, cathodes, anodes, interconnectors, and sealing materials.
    SOC single-cells and stacks.
    Water electrolysis and CO2 reduction using SOCs.
    Co-production of electricity and value-added chemicals using SOCs.
    Advanced fabrication techniques and characterization methods for SOCs.
    SOC interfaces.
    Advanced sintering methods for SOCs.
    Theoretical simulations for SOCs, including first-principles calculations, multiphysics simulations and machine learning.

Manuscript submission information:

Submission Open Date: Sep 15, 2024
Submission Deadline: Jan 31, 2025

This special issue welcomes both research article and review article submissions. 

You are invited to submit your manuscript at any time during the submission window. For any inquiries about the appropriateness of contribution topics, please contact the guest editors. Their contact information is listed above. 

Please submit your manuscript via the journal’s submission platform (Editorial Manager®). Please refer to the Guide for Authors to prepare your manuscript, and select the article type of "VSI: Solid Oxide Cells" when submitting your manuscript online. Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage.

All the submissions deemed suitable to be sent for peer review will be reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Upon its editorial acceptance, your article will go into production immediately. It will be published in the latest regular issue, while be presented on the specific Special Issue webpage simultaneously. In regular issues, Special Issue articles will be clearly marked and branded.

Keywords:

Solid oxide fuel/electrolysis cells; Protonic ceramic fuel/electrolysis cells; Key materials; SOC stacks; Interface; Theoretical calculations

Special Issue on 2D & 3D printing of functional materials and their applications
Submission Date: 2025-02-28

Guest editors:

Dr. Santiago Ivan Suárez Vázquez
Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León, San Nicolas de los Garza, Mexico
Email: santiago.suarezvz@uanl.edu.mx

Dr. Miguel Angel Ruiz-Gomez
Instituto Potosino de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica, San Luis Potosí, Mexico

Dr. Juliano Alves Bonacin
State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil

Dr. Rodrigo Alejandro Abarza Muñoz
Federal University of Uberlandia, Uberlandia, Brazil

Dr. David Estrada
Boise State University, Micron School of Materials Science and Engineering, Boise, Idaho, United States

Special issue information:

The special issue is open for those works presented in the symposia 2D & 3D printing of functional materials and their applications presented in the International Materials Research Congress 2023-2024. Other works related to the topic and not necessarily presented in the IMRC are also welcome. Related topics include but is not limited to materials processing, additive manufacturing, 2D, 3D and 4D printing materials applications and properties measurements, ink developments, theoretical and fluids dynamics in 3D printing, Tailored highly porous films and 3D structures, current applications, challenges, and perspectives in 3D bioplotting processes, smart materials in additive manufacturing, among others in similar fields. As well as recent insights on advancements and perspectives about emerging 5D, 6D and 7D.

Manuscript submission information:

Submission Open Date: Aug 26, 2024
Submission Deadline: Feb 28, 2025

You are invited to submit your manuscript at any time before the submission deadline. For any inquiries about the appropriateness of contribution topics, please contact the guest editors. Their contact information is listed above. 

The journal’s submission platform (Editorial Manager®) will be available for receiving submissions to this Special Issue on Aug 26, 2024. Please refer to the Guide for Authors to prepare your manuscript, and select the article type of “VSI: 2D and 3D Printing-IMRC" when submitting your manuscript online. Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage. 

All the submissions deemed suitable to be sent for peer review will be reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Upon its editorial acceptance, your article will go into production immediately. It will be published in the latest regular issue, while be presented on the specific Special Issue webpage simultaneously. In regular issues, Special Issue articles will be clearly marked and branded.

Keywords:

    Additive manufacturing
    Smart materials
    Electrochemical devices
    Environmental applications
    Nanomaterials

Special Issue on Advanced Materials for Electrochemical Energy Conversion and Storage
Submission Date: 2025-03-31

High-performance electrode materials are crucial for the development of green, efficient, and sustainable energy conversion and storage systems. This special issue gathers research articles and review papers that focus on the development of advanced materials for electrochemical energy conversion and storage. It highlights the latest advancements in the design, synthesis, and characterization of novel materials for use in energy conversion and storage devices, aiming to foster innovation and progress in this field.

Guest editors:

Dr. Jin Zhao
Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Nanjing, China
Email: iamjzhao@njupt.edu.cn

Dr. Junxiong Wu
Fujian Normal University, Fuzhou, China

Dr. Hao Fan
Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, China

Special issue information:

The rapid evolution of electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies has become essential in addressing the pressing global energy challenges we face today. As societies increasingly transition towards sustainable and renewable energy sources, the demand for efficient and reliable energy conversion and storage systems becomes ever more critical. Advanced materials play a pivotal role in this transition by enabling significant improvements in the performance, efficiency, and overall sustainability of these devices. This special issue is dedicated to bringing together the latest research and review articles that explore cutting-edge innovations in materials science for electrochemical energy conversion and storage applications. Our goal is to showcase groundbreaking studies that push the boundaries of current technologies and explore novel materials with the potential to advance electrochemical energy conversion and storage devices. We welcome both original research articles and comprehensive review papers.

The topics of this special issue include, but are not restricted to:

    Novel electrode and electrolyte materials for batteries, fuel cells, supercapacitors, and other electrochemical energy storage devices.
    High-performance catalysts for energy conversion.
    Advanced synthesis and fabrication techniques for creating high-performance energy storage and conversion materials.
    Theoretical investigations on electrochemical energy materials.
    Research on solid-state batteries and hybrid energy storage systems, including their materials, interfaces, and performance optimization.
    Computational and data-driven approaches for the design and optimization of materials for electrochemical energy applications.

Manuscript submission information:

Submission Open Date: Sep 1, 2024
Submission Deadline: Mar 31, 2025

You are invited to submit your manuscript at any time before the submission deadline. For any inquiries about the appropriateness of contribution topics, please contact the guest editors. Their contact information is listed above. 

The journal’s submission platform (Editorial Manager®) will be available for receiving submissions to this Special Issue on Sep 1, 2024. Please refer to the Guide for Authors to prepare your manuscript, and select the article type of “VSI: Advanced Materials for Energy" when submitting your manuscript online. Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage. 

All the submissions deemed suitable to be sent for peer review will be reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Upon its editorial acceptance, your article will go into production immediately. It will be published in the latest regular issue, while be presented on the specific Special Issue webpage simultaneously. In regular issues, Special Issue articles will be clearly marked and branded.

Keywords:

Electrode materials; Electrolytes; Batteries; Supercapacitors; Electrocatalysis

Special Issue on Oxide Ferroelectric Heterostructures: Domain Engineering in Thin Films and Superlattices and Multifunctionality
Submission Date: 2025-05-30

Guest editors:

Dr. Zijian Hong
Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, China
Email: hongzijian100@zju.edu.cn

Special issue information:

Oxide ferroelectric heterostructures are a fertile playground for emergent properties and multifunctionality, including but not limited to piezo-, pyro-, dielectric, electrocaloric, and electromagnetic properties. The oxide heterostructures, including thin films, multilayers, and superlattices, usually with a size of 1 nm to 1 um, show various polar domain structures that can be engineered with many external and internal boundary conditions. For instance, various topological phases can be obtained by manipulating the electric boundary conditions, size, and surface effect. Moreover, the domain patterns can be readily engineered with external stimuli, e.g., electric field, mechanical force, thermal activation, and optical pumping.

This special issue welcomes new research on domain engineering in ferroelectric heterostructures. Research topics of interest include 1) Ferroelectric topological structures; 2) Domain switching dynamics; 3) Phase-field simulations of polar structures; 4) Piezoelectric materials; 5) Strain engineering; 6) Multiferroic materials; 7) Advanced characterizations of polar structures. 

Manuscript submission information:

Submission Open Date: Oct 31, 2024
Submission Deadline: May 30, 2025

You are invited to submit your manuscript at any time before the submission deadline. For any inquiries about the appropriateness of contribution topics, please contact the guest editors. Their contact information is listed above. 

The journal’s submission platform (Editorial Manager®) will be available for receiving submissions to this Special Issue soon. Please refer to the Guide for Authors to prepare your manuscript, and select the article type of “VSI: Domain Engineering in Ferroelectric Oxides" when submitting your manuscript online. Both the Guide for Authors and the submission portal could be found on the Journal Homepage. 

All the submissions deemed suitable to be sent for peer review will be reviewed by at least two independent reviewers. Upon its editorial acceptance, your article will go into production immediately. It will be published in the latest regular issue, while be presented on the specific Special Issue webpage simultaneously. In regular issues, Special Issue articles will be clearly marked and branded.

Keywords:
Ferroelectrics; Domain Engineering; Oxide Heterostructures