We are delighted to announce an open call for papers to our new themed collection on Advances in Energy Generation and Conversion Technologies, to be published in Materials Advances.

In recent years, there have been significant developments in energy generation and conversion technologies that emphasize eco-friendly, low-cost, and sustainable approaches. This themed collection broadly focuses on energy technologies including (but not limited to):

• Advances in microbial fuel cell (MFC) design, operation, and integration with wastewater systems for simultaneous energy generation and pollutant removal.
• Latest battery technology innovations, including solid-state and lithium-sulfur batteries.
• Development of sustainable energy materials from natural and renewable resources, such as cellulose-derived carbon and biopolymers.
• Construction of advanced materials for efficient solar energy conversion, including perovskite cells and solar windows.
• Utilization of carbon-based electrocatalysts derived from waste materials in fuel cells and electrolysers.
• CO₂ capture technologies for fuel and material production
• Exploration of hydrogen fuel cells for clean energy in transport and stationary power applications.
• Leveraging graphene, nanomaterials, and metamaterials to enhance energy conversion, storage, and transmission.

Submit before 15 January 2025

If you are interested in contributing to this collection please get in touch with the Editorial Office.

Materials Advances publishes quality research across the breadth of materials science. It received its 2023 impact factor of 5.2 (Journal Citation Reports 2024, Clarivate Analytics).

Please note that accepted manuscripts will be subject to an article-processing charge (APC) unless your institute has an existing agreement with the RSC that covers publications in our gold open access journals. More information about charges, discounts, and waivers are available here. Corresponding authors who are not already members of the Royal Society of Chemistry are entitled to one year’s Affiliate membership as part of their APC. Find out more about our member benefits.

This themed collection is Guest Edited by:

Shiv Singh CSIR- Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute, India ORCID: 0000-0002-4038-5924 Dr Shiv Singh is currently working as Scientist and Assistant Professor at CSIR-AMPRI, Bhopal, India. He received his PhD (2015) in chemical engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India. He has expertise in the synthesis of novel carbon-based nanomaterials (CNF/CNT/CNP/Graphene/C-dot) for biochemical and energy applications. He did a postdoc at the Korea Institute of Materials Science, South Korea. Currently, he is working on electrode materials for bio/electrochemical reduction of CO2 to value-added products and bio-energy, hydrogen generation and electrochemical sensors. Dr Singh also received Seal of Excellence certificates from Marie Skłodowska-Curie actions call H2020-MSCA-IF-the European Commission and DST INSPIRE faculty award. He is also a community board member of Materials Horizons and early career board member of  Nano-Micro Letters.

Bo Weng Institute of Urban Environment (CAS), China ORCID: 0000-0001-8337-219X Dr Bo Weng is currently a Professor at the Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He earned his PhD in Physical Chemistry from Fuzhou University, China, in 2018. Following his doctorate, he pursued postdoctoral research at Xiamen University and KU Leuven, supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 under Marie Skłodowska-Curie Action (Individual Fellowships) and the Research Foundation-Flanders (FWO) Postdoctoral Fellowships. His research primarily focuses on photocatalysis and (photo)catalytic ozonation for environmental remediation. He has published 72 papers, achieving an h-index of 33 and 4709 citation (Google Scholar). As the first author or corresponding author, he has published 39 papers including Angew. Chem., Adv. Mater., and Nat. Commun. He has been invited to serve as a (Young) Editorial Board Member of NPJ Clean Water (IF 10.4), Chem (IF 19.1), Carbon Energy (IF 19.5)，EcoMat (IF 10.4), Nexus, EcoEnergy et al. He also serves as a reviewer of Nat. Water, Nat. Commun., J. Am. Chem. Soc., Angew. Chem., Adv. Mater. et al.

Pradip Kumar CSIR- Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute, India ORCID: 0000-0002-1996-3697 Dr Pradip Kumar is a Senior Scientist at CSIR-AMPRI, and an Assistant Professor at AcSIR, Bhopal, India. He received his PhD from the School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India. After postdoctoral research at KAIST and KIST, Seoul, South Korea, he joined BARC, Mumbai and Central University of Rajasthan, Ajmer, India as DST Inspire Faculty. His research interest focuses on 2D materials and composites for hydrogen energy storage, thermal management and EMI shielding applications.

Neeraj Dwivedi CSIR- Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute, India ORCID: 0000-0003-1232-438X Dr Neeraj Dwivedi is presently a Principal Scientist at CSIR-Advanced Materials and Processes Research Institute, and an Associate Professor at AcSIR, Bhopal, India. He obtained his PhD in 2013 from the Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, India. He then worked as postdoctoral fellow between 2013 and 2019 at National University of Singapore, Singapore. His research interests include interface engineering, carbon nanocoatings, 2D materials such as graphene-based materials, MXene, metal oxides and nitrides, and polymer-composites for electronic, optoelectronic, energy, sensing and mechanical applications.

Akshay Modi Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, India ORCID: 0000-0002-0885-6837 Dr Akshay Modi is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India. His academic journey includes earning a B.Tech. degree in Chemical Engineering from the National Institute of Technology Srinagar, India, in 2013, followed by an M.Tech. degree from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur, India, in 2015, and a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, India, in 2020. With a broad spectrum of research interests, Dr Modi specializes in membrane science and technology, nanostructured materials, energy devices, water reclamation, gas separations, and biomedical engineering. Dr Modi has received several awards for his outstanding contributions to research.

Engineering of soft materials for healthcare, energy and environment

Themed collection open call for papers

As we navigate the challenges of the 21st century, the engineering of soft materials will undoubtedly continue to play a crucial role in shaping a healthier, more sustainable, and resilient world. The rapid advancement of science and technology has brought unprecedented opportunities and challenges in various sectors, particularly in healthcare, energy, and the environment. Among the myriad of innovations, the engineering of soft materials stands out as a field of immense potential and transformative impact.

In the realm of healthcare, soft materials have revolutionized drug delivery systems, tissue engineering, and medical devices. Their biocompatibility, flexibility, and tunable properties enable the creation of innovative solutions that improve patient outcomes and quality of life. Energy sustainability is another critical area where soft materials play a pivotal role. From flexible solar cells and energy storage systems to smart grids and energy-efficient devices, the applications are vast and varied. This is the time to explore how the unique characteristics of soft materials contribute to the development of sustainable and renewable energy technologies, paving the way for a greener future. Environmental challenges, such as pollution and resource depletion, require innovative approaches for mitigation and management. Soft materials offer promising solutions for water purification, air filtration, and waste management. 

This collection, spanning the Journal of Materials Chemistry A, Journal of Materials Chemistry B, Biomaterials Science, and Molecular Systems Design & Engineering, focuses on the engineering of soft materials for advanced science and technology in healthcare, energy, and the environment, aiming to create a better world for future generations. The scope of this collection also aligns with 6^th International Conference on Soft Materials to be held at Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain during November 17-20, 2024.

This themed collection is guest edited by Kamlendra Awasthi (MNIT Jaipur, India), Eduard Llobet Valero (Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain), Anjali Awasthi (University of Rajasthan, Jaipur, India) and Fatima Ezahra (Universitat Rovira i Virgili, Tarragona, Spain)

Submissions open until 30 April 2025

How to submit

Submissions to the journal should fit within the scope of either Journal of Materials Chemistry A, Journal of Materials Chemistry B, Biomaterials Science or Molecular Systems Design & Engineering and we encourage authors to select the journal they feel is best suited to their work– Please see the journal’s website for more information on the journal’s scope, standards, article types and author guidelines. All manuscripts will undergo the normal initial assessment and peer review processes, if appropriate, in line with the journal’s high standards, managed by the journal editors. Accepted manuscripts will be added to the online collection as soon as they are published and they will be featured in a regular issue of the relevant journal. Please note that peer review or acceptance are not guaranteed.

For this collection, we strongly encourage primary research in the way of Full Papers or Communications. If you are wanting to submit a review-type article, please check with the Editorial Office first for pre-approval and to avoid topic overlap.

If you would like to contribute to this themed collection, please submit your article directly through the journal submissions platform. Please mention that your submission is a contribution to the Engineering of soft materials for healthcare, energy and environment  collection in the “Themed issues” section of the submission form and is in response to the Open Call. The Editorial Office reserves the right to check suitability of submissions in relation to the scope of both the journal and the collection, and as such inclusion of accepted articles in the final themed collection is not guaranteed.

If you have any questions about the collection or the submissions process, please do contact the Editorial Office at materialsb-rsc@rsc.org and they will be able to assist.

Your institute may have a Read & Publish agreement in place with the Royal Society of Chemistry. This means that you may be able to publish gold open access for free in all the hybrid journals we publish – maximising the visibility and impact of your article to the broadest possible audience. Your institution’s agreement may already include the article processing charge for publishing as a corresponding author. Check here to find out more and to see if your institution has an R&P deal in place.

Potential topics/themes for the collection include but are not limited to:

SOFT MATTER: Active Matter; Biological Matter; Dynamics of Complex Fluids; Living Matter; Liquid Crystals; Self Assembly

COLLOIDS AND INTERFACE: Gels and Hydrogel; Nano and Microfluidics; Surfactants & Lipids

POLYMERIC MATERIALS: Biodegradable Polymers; Elastomers; Membranes; Polymer Interfaces; Polymer Separation and Filtration

POLYMER PHYSICS: Amorphous and Structured Polymers; Physical Properties of Soft Materials; Rheological Aspects in Polymers; Theory and Simulation of Polymers

POLYMER FOR BIOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS: Bio-Inspired Materials; Bioimaging; Biosensors and BioMEMS; Drug Design and Delivery; Tissue Engineering

SOFT MATERIALS FOR ELECTRONICS APPLICATIONS: Flexible Electronics and Storage; Organic Electronics; Patterned Nanostructures; Flexible Sensors

FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS: Block Copolymers Nanolithography; Functional Polymers; Nanocomposites and Hybrid Materials; Polymer Nanocomposites; Soft Nanofabrication

MATERIALS FOR ENERGY APPLICATION: Battery and Fuel Cells; Biofuels and Bioenergy; Hydrogen Generation and Storage; Gas Sensors; Solar Cells (Organic and Hybrid); Thermoelectric Materials; 2D, COF, MOF materials for Energy Conversion and Storage

We look forward to receiving your submissions!