The Recent Advances in Sustainable Materials for Energy and Environmental Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Sustainable materials lie at the heart of transformative solutions for global energy and environmental challenges. This Special Issue, entitled “The Recent Advances in Sustainable Materials for Energy and Environmental Applications”, seeks the submission of high‑quality contributions that showcase the design of innovative materials, green synthesis methods, and performance optimization for energy conversion, storage, and environmental remediation.

Professor Gurumurthy Hegde’s work on functional nanomaterials, heterostructured catalysts, and bioderived composites highlights the key research directions:

• Photocatalytic and electrocatalytic systems for solar‑driven hydrogen production, CO₂ reduction, and pollutant degradation.
• Advanced electrode materials—including doped metal oxides, carbon‑based frameworks, and perovskite‑inspired composites—for high‑capacity, long‑cycle life batteries and supercapacitors.
• Bio‑inspired and biomass‑derived composites with tunable porosity and surface chemistry tailored for the selective adsorption of heavy metals, dyes, and organic pollutants from water.

We encourage the submission of studies that combine experimental work with theoretical insights—density functional theory (DFT), molecular dynamics, or machine‑learning‑assisted design—to unravel structure–property relationships. Contributions focused on scalable synthesis, lifecycle assessment, and technoeconomic analysis are particularly welcome, particularly those that bridge lab‑scale breakthroughs with real‑world deployment.

Environmental applications extend beyond water treatment to include air purification (e.g., VOC removal, NOₓ abatement), greenhouse gas capture, and smart membranes for resource recovery. Energy‑related topics include next‑generation photocathodes, photoanodes, and hybrid systems that integrate energy harvesting with on‑site fuel generation or storage. Placing emphasis on material recyclability, regeneration, and circular‑economy principles will help set new benchmarks for sustainable technology lifecycles.

This Special Issue invites the submission of original research articles, comprehensive reviews, and concise communications that advance our understanding of sustainable materials in energy and environmental contexts. By fostering interdisciplinary collaboration among chemists, materials scientists, and engineers, we aim to accelerate the translation of novel materials into impactful solutions that support a cleaner, more resilient future.

Prof. Dr. Gurumurthy Hegde
Guest Editor

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 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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. Chemistry is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly 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 1800 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.