Dear Colleagues,

The past decade has seen a growing interest in the application of functional cellular polymer composites in cutting-edge industry sectors. This interest is thanks to their advantages, such as light weight, low cost, high specific mechanical properties and versatility. The ongoing research pursuing the improvement of design and process and well as their characteristic properties provides the possibility of developing advanced cellular materials for emerging technologies related to energy, electronics, telecommunication, aerospace, etc. These materials have demonstrated improved specific mechanical properties with additional functional characteristics given by complex compositions and structures, mainly by the use of well-dispersed nanoparticles throughout the solid phase of the cellular material.

Nanofillers such as carbon nanotubes (CNTs), graphene (monolayer/bilayer graphene, graphene nanoplatelets (GnPs), graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (rGO)), hexagonal boron nitride nanoparticles (h-BNNPs) and silicon carbide nanoparticles (SCNs), nanocrystalline cellulose (NCC), etc. have been extensively employed to reinforce polymeric composites due to their high aspect ratio and the ability to tune specific properties. Their use coupled with cellular structure can deliver multifunctional nanocomposite foams as a solution to a variety of limitations in high-end technologies.

Moreover, polymeric foam composites can provide multifunctional properties such as biocompatibility and antibacterial effect, electrical and thermal conductivity, self-cleaning, healing and damage detection and energy storage ability, among many others. The development and understanding of these novel materials would assist in combating upcoming shortcomings in the energy sector, environmental recovery, medical instruments and space exploration.

Therefore, this Special Issue will focus on the recent findings in the field of materials science and technology regarding functional cellular polymer composite materials and all their aspects: design and fabrication, process, composition, morphological structure, characterization, application and functionalization, environmental impact and recycling, etc. 

Prof. Dr. José Ignacio Velasco
Prof. Dr. Marcelo Antunes
Prof. Dr. Hooman Abbasi
Guest Editors

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• multifunctional composites
• cellular composites
• polymeric foams
• nanocomposite foams