Mechanically Responsive Materials and Their Applications
A special issue of Molecules (ISSN 1420-3049). This special issue belongs to the section "Materials Chemistry".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 July 2020) | Viewed by 12643
Special Issue Editors
Interests: sustainable homogeneous and supported catalysis; oxidation catalysis; green synthesis of metallic nanoparticles; mechanochemistry (synthesis and catalysis); molecular electrochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: coordination chemistry; metal-mediated (template) synthesis; catalysis; alcohol oxidation; nitrile transformation; mechanochemistry; noncovalent interactions
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
To adapt to the changing environment, biological systems employ specific stimuli-responsive molecules and supramolecular assemblies. Accordingly, the complex adaptation is possible due to the dynamic molecular tuning by regulating signals, e.g., specific compounds, temperature change, redox event or electromagnetic irradiation. Inspired by nature, chemists also implement controlling elements into the material design; for this purpose, adjustable structural units with properties controlled by a suitable stimulus are introduced to a responsive molecule. The respective molecular architectures that respond to external stimuli and alter their function are often referred to as smart materials, and mechanical action can be an attractive possibility to regulate properties of various materials.
In contrast to photochemical activation, the mechanical one can be achieved at dark and in nontransparent reaction mixtures. Moreover, its application does not require ferromagnetic components, as in the case of magnetically responsive materials. As opposed to the chemical triggers, the mechanical activation is noninvasive, noncumulative, and can be orthogonal to the reaction of interest. Furthermore, the mechanochemical transformation can be achieved in solid, is directional and regulated by the local molecular structure. This can lead to unusual molecular configurations and excitation states not accessible in solutions under convectional heating, irradiation, or electrical current. Last but not least, the mechanical activation is easy to achieve with relatively simple instrumentation and operational procedures.
For these reasons, elaboration and application of new mechanically responsive molecules, their aggregates, and related smart materials have become the focus of much attention, and this Special Issue is an attempt to provide a common ground for researches involved in the development of new materials receptive to mechanical stimuli. The application of such materials is limited only by our imagination, and it already involves enzyme mimics and modulation of reaction outcome, mechanoresponsive polymers and mechanosensitive channels, smart drug delivery and release, self-healing coatings, piezo- and triboelectric nanogenerators, to name but a few developments.
Prof. Dr. Elisabete C.B.A. Alegria
Dr. Maximilian N. Kopylovich
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. Molecules 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.
Keywords
- Mechanically responsive molecules
- Stimuli-responsive materials
- Dynamic molecular tuning
- Smart materials
- Dynamic catalysis
- Smart drug delivery and release
- Self-healing coatings
- Mechanoresponsive polymers
- Mechanosensitive channels
- Piezoelectric materials
- Triboelectric materials
