Advances in Multifunctional Polymer-Matrix Composites

Dear Colleagues,

Polymer composites combine the lightness and toughness of a polymer matrix with the unique properties of the discontinuous phase(s). The resulting material often exhibits high specific mechanical properties, thereby featuring inherent engineering advantages in applications such as automotive, aerospace, and constructions. Being constituted of multiple phases, polymer–matrix composites are also the ideal materials to be designed as multifunctional, thus performing multiple functions simultaneously and responding to stimuli of different nature. Multifunctionality is beneficial especially in applications that require weight minimization in combination with other mechanical and functional properties, such as optical, self-healing, antibacterial, and shape-memory properties, energy storage and conversion, thermal regulation, electrical or thermal conductivity, wear and corrosion resistance, sensing and actuating ability, and biocompatibility.

The area of multifunctional polymer–matrix composites is exciting and rapidly developing, and therefore, this Special Issue aims at highlighting the main research lines of the field, evidencing the latest and most promising approaches, and delineating future trends on which the efforts of the scientific community are likely to focus.

This Special Issue welcomes original research and review articles in the field of multifunctional polymer–matrix composites and nanocomposites covering the design, processing, characterization, theoretical approaches, and numerical modeling of these materials. Research presenting substantial advancements in high-end sectors, such as the automotive, aerospace, constructions, biomedical, and electronics fields, is particularly welcome.

Dr. Giulia Fredi
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. Polymers 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.