Dear Colleagues,

I am delighted to announce, and welcome submissions to, the timely Special Issue of Coatings titled “Antimicrobial Coatings for Touch Surfaces and Air-Filters in the Wake of COVID-19”.

Human–object interfacing is an unavoidable part of everyday life. The cross-exchange of contamination, such as the COVID-19 virus, on common surfaces, must be addressed now in order to protect the world against future microbe-induced life-impeding lock-downs. The loss of human lives from the spread of viruses is of primary concern. The role of air-filters in reducing the spread of microbial threats is even more pressing, especially within confined spaces such as public transport.

Instead of common touch surfaces and air-filters acting as breeding sites and spreading harmful viruses and bacteria, antimicrobial coatings may enable automatic sterilization. This Special Issue is aimed at compiling scientific articles on antimicrobial surface coatings and their innovative applications, with particular focus on touch surfaces and air-filters. Relevant coating technologies include, but are not limited to, ion-doping, sanitizer secretion, and photo-activated radicals, as well as those that enhance the germicidal capacity of UV light.

In this Special Issue, we call for the submission of manuscripts (full papers, communications, and reviews) based on the fabrication, characterization, or application of coating technology concerning the following topics: sterilization, antimicrobial, antiviral, antibacterial, self-sterilizing, self-cleaning, photo-active, germicidal, ultraviolet (UV), nanopatterns, nanotopography, micro-structures, micromachining, nanofabrication, nanomaterials, thin films, polymers, ceramics, ion-doping, radicals, gel secretion, antibiotics, antiseptic, bacteriostatic, bactericidal, virustatic, and virucidal. Applications may cover a diverse range of devices, such as door handles, touch screens, keyboards, wheelchairs, ambulances, public transport, airplanes, airports, hospitals, hotels, ATMs, and fuel pumps.

Please share this call with any relevant colleagues. All communication and queries are welcome. I look forward to receiving submissions on this pressing subject.

Dr. Andrew I. M. Greer
Dr. Alistair Brydone
Dr. Dimitrios A. Lamprou
Dr. William McLean
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Coatings 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 2600 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.

• antibacterial
• antiviral
• antimicrobial
• sterilization
• antiseptic
• self-cleaning