2D Materials and Heterostructures for (Opto)Electronic Applications

Open Call for Papers until 21 October 2026

We are delighted to announce this open call for papers to contribute to a themed collection for Journal of Materials Chemistry C on 2D Materials and Heterostructures for (Opto)Electronic Applications, guest edited by Professor Zhaoyang Liu (Jilin University, China), Professor Hai I. Wang (Utrecht University, The Netherlands) and Professor Gabriele D’Avino (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy).

Scope

Two-dimensional (2D) materials provide a powerful platform for next-generation (opto)electronics, sensing, and quantum technologies. Their full potential is realized not only through their intrinsic properties but also through precise molecular-level control—via covalent and non-covalent functionalization, intercalation, doping, and the construction of tailored heterostructures.

This themed collection in Journal of Materials Chemistry C will highlight cutting-edge research at the intersection of chemistry, materials science, spectroscopy and devices. We invite contributions on the synthesis, molecular design, modeling, interface control, characterizations, and property modulation of 2D materials and their heterostructures, with a focus on advancing their (opto)electronic properties and/or performance.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to:

• Synthetic chemistry of novel 2D materials (organic, inorganic, and hybrid, including but not limited to 2D COFs, 2D MOFs, 2D SOFs, 2D Organic Molecular Crystals, Graphene, TMDCs, BP, perovskites, MXene, and other layered materials)
• Surface and edge functionalization (covalent and non-covalent) for property tuning
• Molecular doping and defect engineering in 2D systems
• Design and fabrication of van der Waals and mixed-dimensional heterostructures (including but not limited to inorganic-inorganic, or organic-inorganic heterostructures)
• Interface engineering for charge injection, transport, and light–matter interactions
• Advanced characterization, including static and time-resolved laser spectroscopies of charge and energy dynamics in 2D materials and hybrids
• Ab initio and multiscale modelling of optical, electronic and transport properties
• Device applications demonstrating the role of molecular engineering in transistors, photodetectors, LEDs, and sensors

Submit your high-quality research

This call for papers is open for the following article types:

• Communications
• Full papers

If you would like to contribute to this themed collection, you can submit your article directly to the online submission service for Journal of Materials Chemistry C. Please mention that this submission is a contribution to the 2D Materials and Heterostructures for (Opto)Electronic Applications collection in the “Themed issues” section of the submission form and add a “Note to the Editor” that this is from 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 inclusion of accepted articles in the final themed issue is not guaranteed.

Please also note that all submissions will be subject to initial assessment and rigorous peer review to meet the usual high standards of Journal of Materials Chemistry C.

If you have any questions about the journal or the collection, then we would be happy to answer them.

Guest Editors

Professor Zhaoyang Liu (Jilin University, China)

Zhaoyang Liu is a professor at the State Key Laboratory of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University. He received his Bachelor’s degree in 2009 and Master’s degree in 2012 from Jilin University, under the supervision of Prof. Wenjing Tian. He then joined the group of Prof. Klaus Müllen at the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPIP), where he earned his Ph.D. in 2017. Subsequently, he conducted postdoctoral research in the group of Prof. Paolo Samorì at the Institut de Science et d’Ingénierie Supramoléculaires (ISIS), Université de Strasbourg. In 2022, he established his independent research group at Jilin University. His research interests focus on the design, synthesis, and property tuning of two-dimensional materials using supramolecular approaches, with applications in energy storage and optoelectronics.

Professor Hai I. Wang (Utrecht University, The Netherlands)

Hai Wang received his Bachelor’s degree in Materials Science from Zhejiang University in 2007 and a Baster’s degree in Nanoscience from KU Leuven and TU Delft in 2011 through the Erasmus Mundus fellowship program. From 2012 to 2016, he worked with Mischa Bonn and Enrique Canovas on ultrafast charge transfer processes at oxide interfaces, earning his PhD with highest honors from Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research and University of Mainz. After a postdoctoral appointment with Mathias Kläui, he led the Nano-optoelectronic Materials group at MPI-P from 2017 and became a tenured assistant professor at Utrecht University in 2023. Employing time-resolved, ultrafast spectroscopies (in particular THz spectroscopy), the central theme of Hai’s current research lies in understanding fundamental charge carrier dynamics and low-energy excitations in solid-state low-dimensional materials and interfaces, relevant for energy and optoelectronic applications.

Professor Gabriele D’Avino (Ca’ Foscari University of Venice, Italy)

Gabriele D’Avino received his PhD in Materials Science at the University of Parma in 2010. After a first postdoc at the University of Bologna and two Marie Curie fellowships at the University of Liege and at the University of Mons, in 2019 he joined CNRS with a researcher position at the Institut Néel in Grenoble. Since 2024 he is associate professor of physical chemistry at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice. His research work focuses on the theoretical modeling of organic functional materials for advanced applications in electronics and energy generation, synergistically combining quantum and classical techniques in a multiscale fashion. The goal of his research is the establishment of the relationships between structure and (electronic, optical, vibrational, dielectric) properties in complex molecular systems with special emphasis on environmental and cooperative phenomena in the solid state.

Rational Engineering of Functional Magnetic Nanoparticles

Open Call for Papers until 6 January 2027

We are delighted to announce that the deadline has been extended to 6 January 2027 for this open call for papers to contribute to a themed collection for Journal of Materials Chemistry C on Rational Engineering of Functional Magnetic Nanoparticles, guest edited by Professor Davide Peddis (University of Genoa, Italy), Professor Yuko Ichiyanagi (Yokohama National University and Osaka University, Japan), Dr. Alejandro Gomez Roca (Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Spain), and Professor Elin Winkler (Bariloche Atomic Center and Instituto Balseiro, Argentina).

Scope

Research on magnetic nanoparticles is a rapidly expanding field, driven by advances in the understanding of nanoscale phenomena and by the development of innovative fabrication methods that enable precise control over size, composition, and increasingly complex nanoarchitecture.

Since Néel’s pioneering work in the 1950s, key phenomena such as superparamagnetism, exchange bias, exchange spring behaviour, proximity effects have been discovered and extensively investigated. Together with progress in surface chemistry, functionalization and the synergy between the catalysis and magnetism opened new avenues for the design of advanced functional magnetic materials. These scientific developments have evolved in parallel with innovations in chemical and physical synthesis routes and state-of-the-art characterization techniques, enabling the rational engineering of nanoparticles with tailored structural, magnetic, and functional responses.

The field is inherently interdisciplinary, situated at the intersection of physics, chemistry, materials science, biochemistry, and medicine. Current research focuses not only on the development of materials with enhanced performance for advanced permanent magnets, imaging contrast agents, and magnetic data storage, but also on functional systems capable of dynamically interacting with their environment. Engineered magnetic nanoparticles are now widely explored as remotely controlled actuators capable of generating motion, force, and heat, opening new opportunities in biomedicine, soft robotics, sensing, energy technologies, and sustainable and circular systems.

This Special Issue Rational Engineering of Functional Magnetic Nanoparticles will feature invited contributions from leading experts and emerging researchers, as well as original research articles covering all aspects of magnetic nanoparticles, from the design, modelling, and fabrication of novel nanoarchitectures to their implementation in targeted technologies. We especially encourage submissions that showcase innovative research in the following areas:

• Fundamentals and Theory
• Design of Magnetic Nanoparticles
• Advanced Characterization techniques
• Advanced Magnetic Nanoparticles for Targeted Applications
• Nanoarchitectures based on Magnetic Nanoparticles for Targeted Technologies
• Magnetic Nanoparticles for Sustainable and Circular Technologies

Submit your high-quality research

This call for papers is open for the following article types:

• Communications
• Full papers

If you would like to contribute to this themed collection, you can submit your article directly to the online submission service for Journal of Materials Chemistry C. Please mention that this submission is a contribution to the Rational Engineering of Functional Magnetic Nanoparticles collection in the “Themed issues” section of the submission form and add a “Note to the Editor” that this is from 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 inclusion of accepted articles in the final themed issue is not guaranteed.

Please also note that all submissions will be subject to initial assessment and rigorous peer review to meet the usual high standards of Journal of Materials Chemistry C.

If you have any questions about the journal or the collection, then we would be happy to answer them.

Guest Editors

Professor Davide Peddis (University of Genoa, Italy)

Davide Peddis (PhD; 2007)  is a Full Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Genoa and Associate Researcher at CNR-ISM. He has held research positions in Italy and abroad, including Senior Scientist at the Vinča Institute (Belgrade), and visiting appointments in France, Sweden, and the USA. DP has authored over 230 peer-reviewed papers (h-index ~50) and seven book chapters; he contributed to more than 450 conference communications. His research focuses on magnetic nano-heterostructures, with emphasis on the interplay between structure, morphology, and physical properties, spanning fundamental magnetism and applications in biomedicine, catalysis, and energy. He has participated in 29 funded projects (5 as Principal Investigator, 12 as local PI, and 12 as key team member), managing ~€3 million in research funding.

Professor Yuko Ichiyanagi (Yokohama National University and Osaka University, Japan)

Yuko Ichiyanagi received her PhD (Applied Physics) at Yokohama National University in 1996. She has been a full professor since 2019 at Yokohama National University. She concurrently holds a visiting professor at Osaka University since 2017. She has been frequently invited to and chaired at international conference. Her recent main research interests are phase transition of magnetic nanoparticles and biomedical applications. Now she has published more than 120 papers and books, and has been serving as an international advisory committee member of some reputed conferences. She is a member of the editorial board of IEEE Magnetics Letters since 2018. She has served as a program committee member and session chair for many IEEE conferences. Prior to her academic position, she worked for a private company for three years, designing circuits, and contributing to the establishment of electronic equipment interference regulations in Japan (VCCI).

Dr. Alejandro Gomez Roca (Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Spain)

Alejandro G. Roca is a Tenured Scientist at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) based at the ICN2. He previously conducted research in Spain (ICMM, INA‑UNIZAR, ICMA), the UK (University of York), Japan (Tohoku University), and the private sector. Dr. Roca has authored 57 peer‑reviewed publications (>4,300 citations, h‑index 30), edited two books, contributed two book chapters, and is co‑inventor on two patents. He has participated in 21 research projects, serving as Principal Investigator on five. His work focuses on the synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical and energy applications and on the structural and magnetic characterization of nanostructures using laboratory, synchrotron, and neutron techniques. He has delivered 14 invited talks at international conferences and organized several scientific events. Dr. Roca has supervised doctoral and master’s students, contributed to academic teaching at the UAB, served on international evaluation panels, and is actively engaged in science outreach.

Professor Elin Winkler (Bariloche Atomic Center and Instituto Balseiro, Argentina)

Elin Winkler is a Researcher at National Council for Scientific and Technical Research (CONICET) and the National Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA) and a member of the Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (CNEA/CONICET) in Argentina. She is also an Adjunct Professor at the Balseiro Institute, which depends on the Universidad Nacional de Cuyo (UNCuyo) and CNEA.

She is co-author of 98 peer-reviewed publications (>3100 citations, h-index 30) and 4 book chapters. Her research focuses on the development of new nanostructured materials based on magnetic nanoparticles and study of their physicochemical properties to optimize their performance in applications such as environmental remediation, nanomedicine and energy.

She currently serves as Associate Editor of Journal of Materials Chemistry C and Materials Advances.