Submit to Molecules Review for Molecules Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Materials Chemistry in China

Print Special Issue Flyer
Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Related Special Issue
Published Papers

A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 October 2022) | Viewed by 19326

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Yuanfu Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Electronic Science and Engineering, and State Key Laboratory of Electronic Thin Films and Integrated Devices, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610054, China
Interests: synthesis of two-dimensional semiconductors (e.g. graphene and MX2 series) and corresponding microelectronic and photoelectronic devices; nanomaterials for energy storages, e.g. lithium-sulfur batteries; nanomaterials for energy and environmental science; electrocatalysts for water splitting (e.g. HER, OER); photocatalysts for photocatalytic degradation and water splitting

Prof. Dr. Afang Zhang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

International Joint Laboratory of Biomimetic and Smart Polymers, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Shanghai University, Shanghai 200444, China
Interests: dendronized polymer; stimuli-responsive polymer; helical polymer; supramolecular chiral assembly; stimuli-responsive biomaterial
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Yiming Wang

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

State Key Laboratory of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Engineering, East China University of Science and Technology, Shanghai 200237, China
Interests: out-of-equilibrium systems; supramolecular gels; systems chemistry; dynamic smart materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Guankui Long

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nankai University, Tianjin 300350, China
Interests: chiral perovskites; chiroptics; chirospintronics; organic solar cells; theoretical calculations
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Prof. Dr. Qian Chen

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

Institute of Functional Nano and Soft Materials (FUNSOM), Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
Interests: drug delivery; cancer therapy; immunotherapy; transdermal delivery
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

It is our pleasure to announce a new Special Issue on “Materials Chemistry in China”. This Special Issue focuses on the new frontiers of materials chemistry in China. It is devoted to reporting on either theoretical or experimental studies about the synthesis, properties, characterization, and application of materials. We invite researchers to contribute original articles and reviews.

Prof. Dr. Yuanfu Chen
Prof. Dr. Afang Zhang
Prof. Dr. Yiming Wang
Prof. Dr. Guankui Long
Prof. Dr. Qian Chen
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. Molecules is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly 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 2700 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

biomaterials
energy materials
porous materials
nanomaterials
smart materials
polymeric materials

Related Special Issue

Materials Chemistry in China—Second Edition in Molecules (1 article)

Published Papers (7 papers)

Download All Papers

Research

Jump to: Review

12 pages, 20866 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Synthesis of Cu-Doped TiO₂ on Wood Substrate with Highly Efficient Photocatalytic Performance and Outstanding Recyclability for Formaldehyde Degradation

by Zhiqiang Lv, Yi Ma, Shanshan Jia, Yan Qing, Lei Li, Yangyang Chen and Yiqiang Wu

Molecules 2023, 28(3), 972; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules28030972 - 18 Jan 2023

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1309

Abstract

Photocatalytic oxidation is considered one of the most effective ways to remove formaldehyde from indoor air. However, the use of powder photocatalysts is limited by their low adsorption capacity and strong aggregation tendency. Hence, there is a need for a composite material with good cycling stability and high degradation efficiency. In the present study, a unique wood-based composite is produced by arranging Cu–TiO₂ nanoparticles on porous structured wood. The porous structure of wood can adsorb formaldehyde, and the abundant functional groups on the surface can act as a reaction platform for anchoring the Cu–TiO₂ nanoparticles. Cu doping facilitates electron interaction between TiO₂ and Cu, promotes the transfer of charge carriers, lowers the electron–hole recombination rate, and improves the photocatalytic degradation efficiency of formaldehyde. The photocatalytic efficiency of the wood-based composites was highest (85.59%) when the n(Cu)/n(Ti) ratio was 7%. After nine cycles, the wood composites still had a high degradation rate, indicating good recyclability. Overall, this wood composite is an eco-friendly and promising material for indoor air filtration. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Chemistry in China)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

7 pages, 1865 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Improved Interfacial Contact for Pyramidal Texturing of Silicon Heterojunction Solar Cells

by Ruijie Dai, Tengzuo Huang, Weijie Zhou, Jinpeng Yang, Hua Zhang, Fayin Yu, Anran Chen, Feng Wang, Jin Zhang, Tao Sun and Longzhou Zhang

Molecules 2022, 27(5), 1710; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27051710 - 05 Mar 2022

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2054

Abstract

Reducing the surface reflectivity of silicon substrates is essential for preparing high-performance Si-based solar cells. We synthesized pyramid-nanowire-structured Si (Si-PNWs) anti-reflection substrates, which have excellent light-trapping ability (<4% reflectance). Furthermore, diethyl phthalate (DEP), a water-insoluble phthalic acid ester, was applied to optimize the Si-PNWs/PEDOT:PSS interface; the photoelectric conversion efficiency of heterojunction solar cells was shown to increase from 9.82% to 13.48%. We performed a detailed examination of the shape and optical characteristics of Si-PNWs, as well as associated photoelectric performance tests, to investigate the origin of performance improvements in Si-PNWs/PEDOT:PSS heterojunction solar cells (HSCs). Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Chemistry in China)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

9 pages, 1453 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Graphene-Based Biosensors with High Sensitivity for Detection of Ovarian Cancer Cells

by Qi Wan, Ling Han, Yunchuan Guo, Huijun Yu, Li Tan, Ai Zheng and Yali Chen

Molecules 2021, 26(23), 7265; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26237265 - 30 Nov 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1503

Abstract

Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate in the world. Therefore, it is urgent but still challenging to develop an efficient circulating tumor cell (CTC) detection method to sensitively detect ovarian cancer. To address such issues, herein, for the first time, we present a novel CTC detection method for ovarian cancer cells by designing sensitive and rapid graphene-based biosensors. This graphene-based sensor, consisting of a cell pool and two electrodes, can be prepared by a conventional chip fabrication process. It demonstrates high-sensitivity detection even for several ovarian cancer cells by comparing the electrical signal before and after adding cell solution. Moreover, the graphene-based biosensors can perform rapid detection with good repeatability. This suggests that this novel method is possible to use for the early detection of ovarian cancer with very low CTC cell concentration. This work provides a novel and quick strategy to detect ovarian cancer and further judge or predict the risk of the transfer of ovarian cancer. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Chemistry in China)

► Show Figures

Graphical abstract

20 pages, 4108 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Detecting Air Pollutant Molecules Using Tube-Shaped Single Electron Transistor

by Zhongkai Huang, Xiangyang Peng, Cheng Peng, Jin Huang, Maolin Bo, Chuang Yao and Jibiao Li

Molecules 2021, 26(23), 7098; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26237098 - 24 Nov 2021

Viewed by 1839

Abstract

An air pollution detector is proposed based on a tube-shaped single-electron transistor (SET) sensor. By monitoring the flow control component of the detector, each air pollutant molecule can be placed at the center of a SET nanopore and is treated as an island of the SET device in the same framework. Electron transport in the SET was incoherent, and the performances of the SET were sensitive at the single molecule level. Employing first-principles calculations, electronic features of an air pollutant molecule within a tube-shaped SET environment were found to be independent of the molecule rotational orientations with respect to axis of symmetry, unlike the electronic features in a conventional SET environment. Charge stability diagrams of the island molecules were demonstrated to be distinct for each molecule, and thus they can serve as electronic fingerprints for detection. Using the same setup, quantification of the air pollutant can be realized at room temperature as well. The results presented herein may help provide guidance for the identification and quantification of various types of air pollutants at the molecular level by treating the molecule as the island of the SET component in the proposed detector. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Chemistry in China)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 4470 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Preparation of Ag₃PO₄/TiO₂(B) Heterojunction Nanobelt with Extended Light Response and Enhanced Photocatalytic Performance

by Yong Li, Yanfang Liu, Mingqing Zhang, Qianyu Zhou, Xin Li, Tianlu Chen and Shifeng Wang

Molecules 2021, 26(22), 6987; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules26226987 - 19 Nov 2021

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 1697

Abstract

Photocatalytic degradation, as an emerging method to control environmental pollution, is considered one of the most promising environmental purification technologies. As Tibet is a region with some of the strongest solar radiation in China and even in the world, it is extremely rich in solar energy resources, which is ideal for applying photocatalytic technology to its ecological environment protection and governance. In this study, Na₂Ti₃O₇ nanobelts were prepared via a hydrothermal method and converted to TiO₂∙xH₂O ion exchange, which was followed by high-temperature calcination to prepare TiO₂(B) nanobelts (“B” in TiO₂(B) means “Bronze phase”). A simple in situ method was used to generate Ag₃PO₄ particles on the surface of the TiO₂ nanobelts to construct a Ag₃PO₄/TiO₂(B) heterojunction composite photocatalyst. By generating Ag₃PO₄ nanoparticles on the surface of the TiO₂(B) nanobelts to construct heterojunctions, the light absorption range of the photocatalyst was successfully extended from UV (ultraviolet) to the visible region. Furthermore, the recombination of photogenerated electron–hole pairs in the catalyst was inhibited by the construction of the heterojunctions, thus greatly enhancing its light quantum efficiency. Therefore, the prepared Ag₃PO₄/TiO₂(B) heterojunction composite photocatalyst greatly outperformed the TiO₂(B) nanobelt in terms of photocatalytic degradation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Chemistry in China)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Review

Jump to: Research

21 pages, 2524 KiB

Open AccessReview

Engineering Plasmonic Environments for 2D Materials and 2D-Based Photodetectors

by Jianmei Li, Jingyi Liu, Zirui Guo, Zeyu Chang and Yang Guo

Molecules 2022, 27(9), 2807; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27092807 - 28 Apr 2022

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3678

Abstract

Two-dimensional layered materials are considered ideal platforms to study novel small-scale optoelectronic devices due to their unique electronic structures and fantastic physical properties. However, it is urgent to further improve the light–matter interaction in these materials because their light absorption efficiency is limited by the atomically thin thickness. One of the promising approaches is to engineer the plasmonic environment around 2D materials for modulating light–matter interaction in 2D materials. This method greatly benefits from the advances in the development of nanofabrication and out-plane van der Waals interaction of 2D materials. In this paper, we review a series of recent works on 2D materials integrated with plasmonic environments, including the plasmonic-enhanced photoluminescence quantum yield, strong coupling between plasmons and excitons, nonlinear optics in plasmonic nanocavities, manipulation of chiral optical signals in hybrid nanostructures, and the improvement of the performance of optoelectronic devices based on composite systems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Chemistry in China)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

27 pages, 3713 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperReview

Zinc-Based Metal-Organic Frameworks in Drug Delivery, Cell Imaging, and Sensing

by Rashda Safdar Ali, Hongmin Meng and Zhaohui Li

Molecules 2022, 27(1), 100; https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules27010100 - 24 Dec 2021

Cited by 29 | Viewed by 6446

Abstract

The design and structural frameworks for targeted drug delivery of medicinal compounds and improved cell imaging have been developed with several advantages. However, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are supplemented tremendously for medical uses with efficient efficacy. These MOFs are considered as an absolutely new class of porous materials, extensively used in drug delivery systems, cell imaging, and detecting the analytes, especially for cancer biomarkers, due to their excellent biocompatibility, easy functionalization, high storage capacity, and excellent biodegradability. While Zn-metal centers in MOFs have been found by enhanced efficient detection and improved drug delivery, these Zn-based MOFs have appeared to be safe as elucidated by different cytotoxicity assays for targeted drug delivery. On the other hand, the MOF-based heterogeneous catalyst is durable and can regenerate multiple times without losing activity. Therefore, as functional carriers for drug delivery, cell imaging, and chemosensory, MOFs’ chemical composition and flexible porous structure allowed engineering to improve their medical formulation and functionality. This review summarizes the methodology for fabricating ultrasensitive and selective Zn-MOF-based sensors, as well as their application in early cancer diagnosis and therapy. This review also offers a systematic approach to understanding the development of MOFs as efficient drug carriers and provides new insights on their applications and limitations in utility with possible solutions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Materials Chemistry in China)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Materials Chemistry in China

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editors

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Related Special Issue

Published Papers (7 papers)

Research

Review

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI