Open access: open calls for papers

By harnessing the potential of nanomaterials, we can develop more cost-effective and sustainable solar cells, photo(electro)catalysts, and solar fuel devices, thus reducing our dependence on fossil fuels and mitigating environmental impacts associated with energy production. Understanding the fundamental principles underlying nanomaterial-based solar energy conversion can pave the way for innovative solutions to global energy challenges.

Energy Advances publishes exciting research across the spectrum of energy science, including energy storage, materials science, policy, technology, digital materials and beyond. Authors are welcome to submit original research as a Communication article or Full Paper or contribute a review article. Please contact the editorial office to register your interest or for more information. Alternatively, you can submit a manuscript below.

Manuscripts should be submitted via the Royal Society of Chemistry’s online submission service and the Editorial Office informed by email. Please state the code “YANaSoEn24” in the “Comments to the Editor” submission question when you submit your manuscript, to indicate that this is a submission for the themed collection. The Editorial Office reserves the right to check suitability of submissions in relation to the scope of the collection and inclusion of accepted articles in the collection is not guaranteed. All manuscripts will be subject to the journal's usual peer review process. Accepted manuscripts will be added to the online collection as soon as they are online and will be published in a regular issue of Energy Advances.

What would you like to know about this journal?

This themed collection focuses on the application of atomistic modelling methods to the discovery and betterment of materials used in Li-ion and post-lithium (Na/K/Mg-ion) all-solid-state battery (ASSB) applications. Authors may pick from a wide range of techniques, including electronic structure theory and Density Functional Theory (DFT) to machine-learned (ML) and empirical interatomic potentials, combined with crystal structure predictions. These methods can be used to accelerate discovery of novel materials, such as electrodes and solid electrolytes, protective layers coated with atomic-layer deposition (ALD), plasma-layer deposition (PLD) or similar techniques, as well as to analyse various microscopic properties of these materials and their interfaces. We particularly look forward to the submission of manuscripts that present a collaborative work with experimentalists.

Energy Advances publishes exciting research across the spectrum of energy science, including energy storage, materials science, policy, technology, digital materials and beyond. Authors are welcome to submit original research as a Communication article or Full Paper or contribute a review article. Please contact the editorial office to register your interest or for more information. Alternatively, you can submit a manuscript below.

Manuscripts should be submitted via the Royal Society of Chemistry’s online submission service and the Editorial Office informed by email. Please state the code “YABatt24” in the “Comments to the Editor” submission question when you submit your manuscript, to indicate that this is a submission for the themed collection. The Editorial Office reserves the right to check suitability of submissions in relation to the scope of the collection and inclusion of accepted articles in the collection is not guaranteed. All manuscripts will be subject to the journal's usual peer review process. Accepted manuscripts will be added to the online collection as soon as they are online and will be published in a regular issue of Energy Advances.

What would you like to know about this journal?

This themed collection aims to collect the recent research breakthroughs, reviews, perspectives and comments on liquid-based materials from fundamentals to applications.

Topics: Advanced gel materials; Liquid metals; ionic liquids; Smart/responsive liquids; Liquid-infused surfaces/membranes; Micro/nanofluidic devices; Soft matter; Bioinspired liquid-based materials; Particles at the liquid interface; Functional & adaptive surfaces, etc.

Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR)-based diagnostics have been widely applied to sensitive and accurate nucleic acid analysis based on its highly efficient trans-cleavage activity.

CRISPR assays can be integrated with nucleic acid amplification testing methods, microfluidic devices, and novel biosensors to simplify operation workflow and improve analytical performance, thus making it more applicable at point-of-care needs. Current challenges focus on the development of single-step nucleic acid amplification cascade CRISPR assays, “sample-in, answer-out” devices, and multiplex CRISPR assays.

Thermoelectric materials have gathered huge interest for their ability to harvest and convert the waste heat into useful electrical energy. Thanks to their high cooling power density and the potential to be miniaturized and incorporated into chips, thermoelectric systems provide a compact all-solid-state solution for thermal management of advanced microelectronic/optoelectronic devices. In addition, thermoelectric systems may offer more opportunities to utilize renewable clean energies since there are abundant heat source around us, such as solar, geothermal, microwave irradiation, and so on. The past decades gave witness to the substantial achievement of thermoelectric research in view of innovative concepts, strategies to improve thermoelectric performance of conventional thermoelectric materials, and advanced materials systems.

Notably, although substantial progress has been made in the area of thermoelectric systems, there are still numerous challenges. Both engineering the existing thermoelectric materials need knowledge and techniques from different fields such as heat transfer, microelectronics, solid-state physics, synthetic chemistry and nanoscience.

Areas of interest include but are not limited to:

• Synthesis and characterization of novel thermoelectric materials
• Strategies to improve performance of traditional thermoelectric materials
• Thermoelectric systems for recovery industry waste heat
• Thermoelectric generators
• Thermoelectric cooling devices
• Electrolytes for thermoelectrical cells
• Thermal charging cells
• Thermal self-power devices

How to submit:

Both papers and review articles will be considered for this themed collection. All submissions will be subject to an initial assessment by Associate Editors and, if suitable for the journal, they will be subject to rigorous peer review to meet the usual high standards of RSC Advances.

Our APC is among the lowest in the industry and there are no submission charges. Discounts and waivers are offered to authors from developing countries. We have a number of Read & Publish deals in place with institutions, please see Chronoshub for more information on specific institutions and funders.

During submission, authors will be asked if they are submitting for a themed collection and should include the name of the themed collection. If you would like to submit but require additional time to prepare your article, please do let us know by contacting the journal.

Nanoelectronics holds a pivotal role in revolutionizing various technological challenges, employing the extraordinary electronic properties of nanomaterials, such as quantum confinement effects, high electron mobility, and tunable band structures. In particular, the continuous drive towards miniaturization in electronics has led to the exploration of the nanoscale materials and structures to develop the next-generation electronic devices with enhanced performance, reduced power consumption, and novel capability. In the past few decades, the emergence of diverse low-dimensional nanomaterials (quantum dots, carbon nanotubes, semiconductor nanowires, molecules, graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides, and three-dimensional nanostructures) has contributed to substantial progress in nanoelectronics, resulting in unprecedented functionalities.

For this themed collection, we encourage contributions from the academia/industrial researchers focusing on the areas such as nanomaterial synthesis, device fabrication, characterization, and simulation. More specifically, prospective research topics encompass, but are not limited to:

• Approaches to synthesizing low-dimensional nanomaterials for nanoelectronic applications.
• Investigation of novel or enhanced electronic functionalities enabled by low-dimensional nanomaterials.
• In-depth analysis techniques for fundamental properties of low-dimensional nanomaterials.
• Development of novel device structures and fabrication methods for integrating low-dimensional nanomaterials into electronic devices.
• Utilization of computational methods such as simulation, data-driven analysis, and machine learning for the design and optimization of nanomaterials and electronic devices.
• Exploration of diverse electronic applications such as computation, memory storage, communication, sensing, display, quantum computing, energy production/storage, and medical diagnostics.

We welcome your submission to the series.

Spin crossover (SCO) compounds are a unique class of materials characterised by their ability to switch between two spin states, low-spin and high-spin. This switching occurs in response to external stimuli, such as temperature, pressure, magnetic and electric fields, or light. The transition is often accompanied by dramatic changes in the physical properties of the material, making SCO compounds highly desirable for applications in sensors, data storage, and smart materials. The study of SCO materials is at the forefront of materials science, offering opportunities for the development of responsive and adaptive technologies.

Current challenges in the field of SCO materials include achieving precise control over the SCO phenomenon and developing scalable synthetic methods for SCO compounds. Opportunities lie in the integration of SCO materials into nanotechnology and electronics, exploring new stimuli-responsive mechanisms, and using their unique properties for applications in smart devices, data storage, and sensing technologies. Advances in computational studies also offer opportunities to predict and design materials with well-defined properties.

Research Topics of Interest:

• Synthesis and characterisation of responsive switchable magnetic materials.
• Studies on the mechanisms of responsiveness and switching behaviour at the molecular or material level.
• Development and optimisation of fabrication techniques for scalable production.
• Integration of responsive magnetic materials into devices and systems.
• Theoretical and computational studies to predict and optimise the behaviour of switchable magnetic materials.
• Review articles that summarise recent advances, challenges, and future directions in the field.

We welcome your submission to the series.

How to submit:

Both papers and review articles will be considered for this themed collection. All submissions will be subject to an initial assessment by Associate Editors and, if suitable for the journal, they will be subject to rigorous peer review to meet the usual high standards of RSC Advances.

We are proud to be an affordable gold open access journal. Submissions to RSC Advances will be published open access and the appropriate article processing charge (APC) will apply. RSC Advances’ article processing charge (APC) is among the lowest in chemistry and waivers are also available for authors who meet the eligibility criteria outlined here. We have a number of Read & Publish deals in place with institutions, please see Chronoshub for more information on specific institutions and funders.

If you would like to submit to this themed collection the manuscript should be prepared according to our article guidelines and submitted via our online system any time before the submission deadline of 30 November 2024. During submission, authors will be asked if they are submitting for a themed collection and should include the name of the themed collection. If you would like to submit but require additional time to prepare your article, please do let us know by contacting the journal.

We aim to provide a comprehensive examination of the latest advancements in the design, synthesis, characterization, and computational analysis of nanostructured materials. These materials hold immense potential for revolutionizing various technological domains and have broad applicability across a wide range of industries.

We invite submissions that contribute to the advancement of knowledge in this field, with particular emphasis on the following topics:

• Optical gain: Exploring the mechanisms and applications of optical gain in nanostructured materials, with a focus on enhancing light emission and amplification.
• Energy Transfer: Investigating energy transfer phenomena in nanostructures and their implications for energy harvesting, storage, sensor and conversion technologies.
• Entanglement: Exploring quantum entanglement phenomena in nanomaterials and their potential applications in quantum information processing and communication.
• Gas sensors: Development of nanostructured materials for highly sensitive and selective gas sensing applications, with a focus on detecting pollutants, toxins, and hazardous gases.
• Electrochemical sensors/Optical sensors/Biosensors: Design and fabrication of nanostructured sensors for detecting various analytes, including biomolecules, ions, and chemical species, using electrochemical, optical, and biosensing principles.

We welcome contributions from researchers across the globe. Authors are invited to submit original research articles, reviews, and perspectives that address the aforementioned topics or related areas. Submissions will undergo rigorous peer review to ensure the highest scientific quality and relevance to the themed collection. We look forward to receiving your contributions and fostering a vibrant exchange of ideas within the scientific community.

We welcome your submission to the series.

How to submit:

Both papers and review articles will be considered for this themed collection. All submissions will be subject to an initial assessment by Associate Editors and, if suitable for the journal, they will be subject to rigorous peer review to meet the usual high standards of RSC Advances.

We are proud to be an affordable gold open access journal. Submissions to RSC Advances will be published open access and the appropriate article processing charge (APC) will apply. RSC Advances’ article processing charge (APC) is among the lowest in chemistry and waivers are also available for authors who meet the eligibility criteria outlined here. We have a number of Read & Publish deals in place with institutions, please see Chronoshub for more information on specific institutions and funders.

If you would like to submit to this themed collection the manuscript should be prepared according to our article guidelines and submitted via our online system any time before the submission deadline of 31 December 2024. During submission, authors will be asked if they are submitting for a themed collection and should include the name of the themed collection. If you would like to submit but require additional time to prepare your article, please do let us know by contacting the journal.

Papers should provide an insight that advances the chemistry field. Papers that contain little or no chemistry and are not considered to be of interest or relevance to the chemistry community are not within the scope of the journal. The criteria for publication are that the work must be high quality, well conducted and advance the development of the field. Articles submitted to the journal are evaluated by our international team of associate editors and reviewers for the overall quality and accuracy of the science presented.

To be eligible researchers should be roughly within 7 years of starting their first independent research position. Career breaks will be taken into consideration (for example, parental or medical leave).

How to submit

Both Papers and Review articles will be considered for this issue. All submissions will be subject to an initial assessment by Associate Editors and, if suitable for the journal, they will be subject to rigorous peer review to meet the usual high standards of RSC Advances.

Our APC is among the lowest in the industry and there are no submission charges. Discounts and waivers are offered to authors from developing countries.

If you would like to submit to this issue please notify the Editorial Office. The manuscript should be prepared according to our article guidelines and submitted via our online system anytime.

This collection in RSC Chemical Biology and RSC Pharmaceutics will explore how both biological and synthetic tools can be leveraged to understand the impact of material structure on the migration of specific cellular barriers, aiming to enhance the delivery efficiency of macromolecules and delivery systems such as liposomes, lipid nanoparticles, and polymeric carriers. Key topics will include the following:

1. Novel tools to understand and quantify cellular trafficking of nanoparticles and their cargo, including processes such as endosomal escape, membrane fusion, cytosolic delivery and nuclear localisation.
2. Fundamental understanding of how nanoparticle structure impacts cellular interactions.
3. Design of new delivery systems that incorporate intelligent strategies to migrate biological barriers for more effective therapeutic delivery.
4. Novel tools, methodologies to understand and quantify cell uptake and the fate of the multiple components in drug delivery systems.
5. Tools/basic understanding on the role of the protein corona on the fate of the particles beyond the very general basic level

Ideally, computational work should be experimentally validated wherever possible. For articles to be accepted into the collection, the applications and relevance to chemical biology must be clear.

Authors are welcome to submit original research in the form of a Communication or Full Paper. The manuscript should be prepared according to our article guidelines and submitted via the respective journal’s website, https://rsc.li/rsc-chembio or https://rsc.li/RSCPharma. Information on the journals' scopes can be found at the bottom of this page.

All manuscripts will be subject to the usual initial assessment and peer review processes as necessary, and inclusion in the Collection will be at the discretion of the Guest Editors. Please indicate in your submission that you are submitting to this Collection and inform the Editorial Office by email.

Following our peer-review process, we will publish accepted articles online in a citeable form as soon as they are ready, with compilation and promotion of the complete collection in mid-2025.

About RSC Chemical Biology

Led by Hiroaki Suga (University of Tokyo), RSC Chemical Biology is dedicated to publishing and disseminating the most exceptionally significant, breakthrough findings of interest to the chemical biology community. All submissions are handled by our experienced and internationally recognised Associate Editors. For more information on the journal, please visit the journal homepage.

About RSC Pharmaceutics

RSC Pharmaceutics acknowledges how chemistry and related disciplines can make a big difference to addressing health challenges. The journal provides a platform to publish crucial research on pharmaceutics, covering emerging technologies and techniques in pharmaceutics, including drug delivery, precision medicine, and enhanced drug targeting. Publications in RSC Pharmaceutics have the potential to drive real change in worldwide health. For more information on the journal, please visit the journal page.

As gold open access journals, there are no barriers to accessing content and your research article will reach an international audience. Article processing charges apply at RSC Chemical Biology – please see the journal page for details on fees, discounts, and waivers.

Contributions are welcome that engineer the biomolecules of life to create recombinant or whole cell technologies. New engineering strategies and resulting technologies, including but not limited to biologics, catalysts, and sensors, are welcome for this themed collection on emerging topics in biomolecular technologies.

Ideally, computational work should be experimentally validated wherever possible. For articles to be accepted into the collection, the applications and relevance to chemical biology must be clear.

Authors are welcome to submit original research in the form of a Communication or Full Paper. The manuscript should be prepared according to our article guidelines and submitted via our online system.

All manuscripts will be subject to the usual initial assessment and peer review processes as necessary, and inclusion in the Collection will be at the discretion of the Guest Editors. Please indicate in your submission that you are submitting to this Collection and inform the Editorial Office by email.

Following our peer-review process, we will publish accepted articles online in a citeable form as soon as they are ready, with compilation and promotion of the complete collection in early 2025.

As a gold open access journal, there are no barriers to accessing content and your research article will reach an international audience. Article processing charges apply – please see the journal page for details on fees, discounts, and waivers.

RSC Chemical Biology is now indexed in the Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ), PubMed Central, Scopus and Web of Science: Emerging Sources Citation Index.

About this journal:

Led by Hiroaki Suga (University of Tokyo), RSC Chemical Biology is dedicated to publishing and disseminating the most exceptionally significant, breakthrough findings of interest to the chemical biology community. All submissions are handled by our experienced and internationally recognised Associate Editors. For more information on the journal, please visit the journal page.