Functional Polymers in 3D Printing

Dear Colleagues,

Additive manufacturing (AM), commonly known as 3D printing, has transformed the way in which we design, develop, and fabricate polymer-based components. Recent advances in polymer chemistry, material science, and AM technologies have enabled the development of functional polymers—materials that not only serve structural purposes but also provide additional capabilities such as electrical conductivity, self-healing, biodegradability, thermal responsiveness, and antimicrobial activity.

This Special Issue aims to bring together original research and reviews that highlight the development, processing, and application of functional polymers in additive manufacturing. Submissions are encouraged in areas including, but not limited to, the following:

• Synthesis and characterization of functional polymers tailored for AM;
• Smart, stimuli-responsive, or bioactive polymer systems;
• Electrically or thermally conductive polymers for printed electronics and sensors;
• Biodegradable and bio-based polymers for sustainable 3D printing;
• Photopolymers for digital light processing (DLP), stereolithography (SLA), and other vat photopolymerization techniques;
• Nanocomposite formulations for enhanced functional properties;
• Functional inks and pastes for direct ink writing (DIW);
• Structure–property relationships of printed functional parts;
• Functional polymer applications in biomedical, aerospace, soft robotic, wearable, and energy devices.

Dr. Sofiane Guessasma
Dr. Darshil U. Shah
Prof. Dr. Ahmed Koubaa
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 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.