Crystallization and Assembly-Driven Nanostructures for Energy, Electronics, Environment and Emerging Applications

Dear Colleagues,

Self-assembly and crystallization are important processes that govern performance and applications of a wide range of materials and nanomaterials found in nature and in our society. For example, battery materials and organic semiconductors are often crystalline. Nanocomposites and block copolymers often rely on various intra- or intermolecular forces to form nanostructures and nanopatterns. Materials that are found in nature, such as spider silk, shell, bone, and diamond, often utilize crystallization and/or assembly to achieve extraordinary performances. Crystalline or self-assembled nanostructures are playing critical roles in technologies such as sensors, actuators, solar cells, transistors, super capacitors, novel battery designs, solid electrolytes, biomimetic materials, and smart materials. There is an immense interest in the crystal structure, crystallization, hierarchical morphology, nanostructures, nanopatterns, or assembly-driven interfaces and complexes that contribute to the mechanic, ionic, electronic, and other functional behaviors of nanomaterials.

Despite the great progress that has been achieved in the past several decades, active research efforts are underway to harness the principles of these self-assembly and crystallization processes in dealing with our fast-changing environment and society challenges. We wish to see how crystallization or assembly-driven nanostructures can further have an impact on energy conversion, energy transport, and energy storage processes, as well as in various optoelectronic, environmental, and emerging applications. In this Special Issue of Nanomaterials, we wish to gather updates on different aspects of self-assembly and crystallization processes in nanomaterials.

We welcome articles in the form of reviews, short communications, as well as full articles. These include but not limited to: 

• Theory, simulation, and modeling;
• Machine learning approach;
• Fundamental understanding of driving forces;
• Synthesis of novel materials for self-assembly, crystal-containing multicomponent materials, nanopatterning;
• Novel processes and technique improvements for optimized assembly and crystalline complexes;
• New or potential applications;
• Biomimetic or bio-inspired materials, self -assembled interfaces, and complexes;
• Novel characterization or in situ observations;
• Structure–property correlations. 

Dr. Jihua Chen
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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• crystallization
• interfaces
• self-assembly
• optoelectronics
• biomimetic materials
• (Co) polymer
• organic semiconductor
• ion transport
• battery materials