Metal Oxide Nanocomposites and Thin Films: Fabrication, Properties, and Applications
A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352).
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 July 2025 | Viewed by 39
Special Issue Editor
Interests: TCAD simulation; oxide TFTs; flexible electronics; device physics; oxide thin films; oxide transistors; VCM memristors
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Due to an array of excellent physical and chemical properties, metal oxides are expected to have a key role in future electronic devices across electronics, optics, catalysis, and energy storage. Compared to thin film forms, nanocomposite materials offer enhanced performance characteristics and high tunability. In both forms, metal oxides are successfully employed in a variety of applications, with well-known examples including TiO₂ nanocomposites for photocatalysis and batteries; ZnO nanocomposites in optoelectronics, sensors, and lasers; and thin films of indium tin oxide (ITO) and aluminum-doped zinc oxide (AZO) in transparent conducting electrodes in solar cells and displays. Metal oxides are expected to provide more applications in disruptive technologies, bringing novel opportunities to various industries. Meeting ambitious goals always requires a continuous push toward optimizing these materials and their integrability into devices, for which minding sustainable approaches (such as solution-based and low-temperature processing) and the use of non-critical elements is preferred.
This Special Issue aims to gather original research and short review articles related to advances in the field of metal oxide nanocomposites and thin films, providing an overview of the current state of the art and a perspective for the future of this field.
Theoretical or experimental research of metal oxide nanocomposites is welcome, from their processing to their applications, with topics that may include the following:
- Fabrication of metal oxide thin films and nanostructures
Advances in synthesis or deposition methods towards the optimization of desired properties or nanostructure morphology (from 0D to 3D structures), or the development of scalable and environmentally friendly approaches.
- Material characterization
Investigation of metal oxide nanocomposites and thin films properties (structural, mechanical, optical, and electrical) through different characterization techniques or computational and theoretical analysis that enhances our understanding of their behavior.
- Applications:
Investigation of their suitability for different applications, regarding their properties (photocatalytic activity, conductivity, transparency, etc.) and their applicability in devices for various fields (electronics, energy, environmental, etc.). The modeling and simulation of devices is also welcomed.
We invite researchers to contribute their work and help improve the future of materials science and engineering through innovative metal oxide nanocomposites and thin films.
Dr. Jorge de Souto Martins
Guest Editor
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Keywords
- metal oxide nanocomposites
- metal oxide thin films
- nanostructures
- solution-based processes
- sustainable materials
- device physics
- flexible electronics transparent electronics
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