This Special Issue reprint, “Advanced Polymer Nanocomposites II”, addresses high-quality original and review papers, focused on the scientific discussion and practical application in the field of functional polymer nanocomposites, including: (a) optoelectronic materials (papers 1-9); (b) biomedical materials (papers 10-14); and (c) other functional polymer nanocomposites (papers 15-23). We hope that this Special Issue reprint can promote academic research exchanges and identify and respond to tremendous challenges of research in this burgeoning field.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Hydrogels are a class of soft materials with crosslinked network structures. They show good biocompatibility, biodegradability, hydrophilicity, and mechanical properties similar to those of tissue, so they have a wide range of applications. In recent years, a variety of multifunctional hydrogels with excellent performance have been developed, greatly expanding the depth and breadth of their applications. This book is the reprint of the Special Issue “Advances in Hydrogels”, which focused on the recent advances regarding hydrogels, aiming to provide reference for researchers in related fields. This book included one editorial, thirteen original research articles, and three valuable reviews from thirteen different countries including Canada, China, Thailand, Mexico, India, Saudi Arabia, Chile, Germany, the Czech Republic, Colombia, Romania, Israel, and the USA.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This edited book presents new results in the area of algorithm development for different types of scheduling problems. In eleven chapters, algorithms for single machine problems, flow-shop and job-shop scheduling problems (including their hybrid (flexible) variants), the resource-constrained project scheduling problem, scheduling problems in complex manufacturing systems and supply chains, and workflow scheduling problems are given. The chapters address such subjects as insertion heuristics for energy-efficient scheduling, the re-scheduling of train traffic in real time, control algorithms for short-term scheduling in manufacturing systems, bi-objective optimization of tortilla production, scheduling problems with uncertain (interval) processing times, workflow scheduling for digital signal processor (DSP) clusters, and many more.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Remote sensing and GIS play critical roles in water resource and flood inundation mapping and risk management. Remote sensing provides data sources for mapping water resources (snow and glaciers, water bodies, soil moisture and groundwater), measuring hydrological fluxes (ET, precipitation and river discharge), and monitoring drought and flooding inundation, while GIS provides the best tools for water resources, drought and flooding risk management and for setting up hydrologic models, inputting data processing and output analyses and visualizations. This Special Issue Book presents the best practices, cutting-edge technologies and applications of remote sensing, GIS and hydrologic models for water resources mapping, satellite rainfall measurements, runoff simulation, water body and flood inundation mapping and risk management. The latest technologies applied include 3D model analysis and visualization of glaciers, UAV video image classification for turf grass mapping and irrigation planning, ground penetration radar for soil moisture estimates, TRMM and GPM satellite rainfall measurements, storm hyetograph analysis, rainfall runoff and urban flooding simulation, satellite radar and optical image classification for urban water bodies and flooding inundation. The application of these technologies is expected to greatly relieve the pressures on water resources and assist in better mitigating and adapting to the impact of drought and flooding.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Carbon-based nanomaterials such as carbon nanotubes, graphene and its derivatives, nanodiamond, fullerenes, and other nano-sized carbon allotropes have recently attracted a lot of attention among the scientific community due to their enormous potential for a wide number of applications arising from their large specific surface area, high electrical and thermal conductivity, and good mechanical properties. The combination of carbon nanomaterials with polymers leads to new nanocomposites with improved structural and functional properties due to synergistic effects. In particular, the properties of carbon-based polymer nanocomposites can be easily tuned by carefully controlling the carbon nanomaterial synthesis route and additionally the versatile synergistic interactions amongst the nanomaterials and polymers. This book provides selected examples of the most recent advances regarding carbon nanomaterial-reinforced polymeric composites. It includes the most representative types of polymeric matrices and covers aspects of new processing techniques, novel surface modifications of carbon nanomaterials and their applications in diverse fields, in particular in electronics and energy storage.

Listed by Unglue.it.

The future of the precious metals is shiny and resistant. Although expensive and potentially replaceable by transition metal catalysts, precious metal implementation in research and industry shows potential. These metals catalyze oxidation and hydrogenation due to their dissociative behavior toward hydrogen and oxygen, dehydrogenation, isomerization, and aromatization, etc. The precious metal catalysts, especially platinum-based catalysts, are involved in a variety of industrial processes. Examples include Pt–Rh gauze for nitric acid production, the Pt/Al2O3 catalyst for cyclohexane and propylene production, and Pd/Al2O3 catalysts for petrochemical hydropurification reactions, etc. A quick search of the number of published articles in the last five years containing a combination of corresponding “metals” (Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh and Au) and “catalysts” as keywords indicates the importance of the Pt catalysts, but also the continuous increase in the contribution of Pd and Au. This Special Issue reveals the importance of precious metals in catalysis and focuses on mono- and bi-metallic formulations of any supported precious metals and their promotional catalytic effect of other transition metals. The application of precious metals in diverse reactions, either homogeneous or heterogeneous, and studies of the preparation, characterization, and applications of the supported precious metal catalysts, are presented.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This Reprint Book highlights and overviews the most important and novel aspects of chiral auxiliary and chirogenesis in different natural/physical sciences and in modern technologies. In particular, some newly emerging classes of molecules used for these purposes are described. This book consists of four review articles and one research paper and is of interest for general chemistry readership, including graduate and postgraduate students, and for researchers specializing in the fields of chirality and stereochemistry

Listed by Unglue.it.

The chemistry of silicon has always been a field of major concern due to its proximity to carbon on the periodic table. From the molecular chemist’s viewpoint, one of the most interesting differences between carbon and silicon is their divergent coordination behavior. In fact, silicon is prone to form hyper-coordinate organosilicon complexes, and, as conveyed by reports in the literature, highly sophisticated ligand systems are required to furnish low-coordinate organosilicon complexes. Tremendous progress in experimental, as well as computational, techniques has granted synthetic access to a broad range of coordination numbers for silicon, and the scientific endeavor, which was ongoing for decades, was rewarded with landmark discoveries in the field of organosilicon chemistry. Molecular congeners of silicon(0), as well as silicon oxides, were unveiled, and the prominent group 14 metalloid proved its applicability in homogenous catalysis as a supportive ligand or even as a center of catalytic activity. This book focuses on the most recent advances in the coordination chemistry of silicon with transition metals as well as main group elements, including the stabilization of low-valent silicon species through the coordination of electron donor ligands. Therefore, this book is associated with the development of novel synthetic methodologies, structural elucidations, bonding analysis, and also possible applications in catalysis or chemical transformations using related organosilicon compounds.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This book is a printed edition of the Special Issue Crystal Chemistry of Zinc, Cadmium and Mercury that was published in Crystals

Listed by Unglue.it.

This book covers a broad range of subjects, from smart nanoparticles and polymer nanocomposite synthesis and the study of their fundamental properties to the fabrication and characterization of devices and emerging technologies with smart nanoparticles and polymer integration.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Noncovalent interactions are the bridge between ideal gas abstraction and the real world. For a long time, they were covered by two terms: van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonding. Both experimental and quantum chemical studies have contributed to our understanding of the nature of these interactions. In the last decade, great progress has been made in identifying, quantifying, and visualizing noncovalent interactions. New types of interactions have been classified—their energetic and spatial properties have been tabulated. In the past, most studies were limited to analyzing the single strongest interaction in the molecular system under consideration, which is responsible for the most important structural properties of the system. Despite this limitation, such an approach often results in satisfactory approximations of experimental data. However, this requires knowledge of the structure of the molecular system and the absence of other competing interactions. The current challenge is to go beyond this limitation. This Special Issue collects ideas on how to study the interplay of noncovalent interactions in complex molecular systems including the effects of cooperation and anti-cooperation, solvation, reaction field, steric hindrance, intermolecular dynamics, and other weak but numerous impacts on molecular conformation, chemical reactivity, and condensed matter structure.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This reprint is excellent proof that, despite more than a hundred years of research into hydrogen bonds, they are still an interesting and fundamental topic in the natural sciences. The collected articles deal with various aspects of the existence of hydrogen bonds and show human ingenuity in the field of inventing and applying various techniques, both experimental and theoretical, in order to describe them more fully.

Listed by Unglue.it.

The book is dedicated to the work and achievements of Howard Flack. It combines articles which describe his own work and the advances he made in the field of crystallography, with original research articles which focus on aspects related to Howard Flack's interests.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This Special Issue of Molecules is dedicated to Prof. Austin James Barnes by occasion of his 75th birthday, in acknowledgment of his scientific contributions in the fields of molecular spectroscopy and molecular structure. The Special Issue comprises 12 articles that span a broad range of interests within the fields of molecular spectroscopy and molecular structure, such as hydrogen bonding, intermolecular interactions, chemical reactivity, weakly bound species and applied spectroscopy.Prof. Austin J. Barnes was one of the most influential scientists in his domain of specialization, and his long scientific career has been an example to follow.

Listed by Unglue.it.

All over the world, there is a huge and ever-increasing interest in the development and application of optical and spectroscopic techniques to characterize fluids in engineering and science. The large number of review articles that are frequently published in these areas is evidence of this. Recent examples have focused on applications of optical diagnostics to gas phase environments, liquids, and multiphase systems. A key feature of such light-based methods is that they are usually non-intrusive, and hence they do not notably affect the system under investigation. As a consequence, optical techniques have been developed for many decades and represent the gold standard in many fields. The list of individual techniques utilizing absorption, refraction, diffraction and scattering effects is long and so is the list of the parameters that can be determined. The latter includes macroscopic properties such as temperature, chemical composition, thermophysical quantities, and flow velocity, but molecular information, e.g., about isomerism and intermolecular interactions, can also be obtained. This Special Issue entitled “Optics and Spectroscopy for Fluid Characterization” aims to demonstrate the breadth of the field in terms of methodology, as well as applications.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This collection of articles focuses on different aspects of the study of organic conductors. Recent progress in both theoretical and experimental studies is covered in this Special Issue. Papers on a wide variety of studies are categorized into representative topics of chemistry and physics. Besides classical studies on the crystalline organic conductors, applied studies on semiconducting thin films and a number of new topics shared with inorganic materials are also discussed.

Listed by Unglue.it.

The crystalline state is the most commonly used essential solid active pharmaceutical ingredient (API). The characterization of pharmaceutical crystals encompasses many scientific disciplines, but the core is crystal structure analysis, which reveals the molecular structure of essential pharmaceutical compounds. Crystal structure analysis provides important structural information related to the API's wide range of physicochemical properties, such as solubility, stability, tablet performance, color, and hygroscopicity. This book entitled “Pharmaceutical Crystals"" focuses on the relationship between crystal structure and physicochemical properties. In particular, the new crystal structure of pharmaceutical compounds involving multi-component crystals, such as co-crystals, salts, and hydrates, and polymorph crystals are reported. Such crystal structures were investigated in the latest studies that combined morphology, spectroscopic, theoretical calculation, and thermal analysis with crystallographic study. This book highlights the importance of crystal structure information in many areas of pharmaceutical science and presents current trends in the structure–property study of pharmaceutical crystals. The Guest Editors of this book hope the readers enjoy a wide variety of recent studies on Pharmaceutical Crystals.

Listed by Unglue.it.

The crystalline state is the most commonly used as an essential solid in active pharmaceutical ingredients (API). The characterization of pharmaceutical crystals encompasses many scientific disciplines. Still, the core is crystal structure analysis, which reveals the molecular structure of essential pharmaceutical compounds. Crystal structure analysis provides important structural information related to the API's wide range of physicochemical properties, such as solubility, stability, tablet performance, color, and hygroscopicity. These properties should be understood in terms of molecular structures and interactions between molecules in crystals. Information on three-dimensional molecular structures also affords insights into the biological activity of molecules. The second reprint in the series, "Crystalline Pharmaceuticals (Volume II)" focused on the relationship between crystal structure and physicochemical properties. In particular, the new crystal structure of pharmaceutical compounds involving multi-component crystals, such as co-crystals, salts and hydrates, and polymorph crystals, were reported with interest. Such crystal structures contributed to the latest studies that combine morphology, spectroscopic, theoretical calculation, and thermal analysis with the crystallographic study. Thus, this reprint highlights the importance of crystal structure information in many areas of pharmaceutical science and presents current trends in the structure-property study of pharmaceutical crystals. The Guest Editors of this reprint hope the readers enjoy a wide variety of recent studies on "Crystalline Pharmaceuticals."

Listed by Unglue.it.

With the continuous improvement of people's living standards, the concern for food nutrition and safety has gradually increased. Consumers increasingly need to replace synthetic food additives with natural components extracted from food. Polysaccharides, starch, protein, pectin, and fibre are major types of biopolymer components in foods. They not only provide people with energy and nutrition, but are also used in food processing as natural additives due to their gelling, emulsifying, and film-forming properties, etc. They are characterised by high biocompatibility, low cost, and ease of access. Some natural components isolated from raw food materials have some drawbacks, such as low solubility and instability under certain conditions, which limit their application in food processing. Currently, many researchers are focusing on the modification, food technology, and future industry of polysaccharides, starch, protein, etc. These studies help to obtain the changed physicochemical and enhanced functional properties of these components, and further promote their high-value utilization in the food field. This Special Issue brings together 34 articles regarding the latest advances in the properties of polysaccharides, starch, protein, pectin, and fibre in food processing, from the improvements of the physical properties of major food components and biological activity studies to their applications in food preservation.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Even in ancient times, semi-solid preparations for cutaneous application, popularly known as ointments, played an important role in human society. An advanced scientific investigation of “ointments” as dosage forms was initiated in the 1950s. It was only from then on that the intensive physico-chemical characterization of ointments as well as the inclusion of dermatological aspects led to a comprehensive understanding of the various interactions between the vehicle, the active ingredient and the skin. From then on, many researchers were involved in optimizing semi-solid formulations with respect to continuously changing therapeutic and patient needs. Aspects that have been dealt with were the optimization of dermato-biopharmaceutical properties and many different issues related to patient compliance, such as skin tolerance, applicability, and cosmetic appeal. Moreover, processing technology has been improved and analytical techniques were developed and refined in order to enable the improved characterization of the formulation itself as well as its interaction with the skin. This Special Issue serves to highlight and capture the contemporary progress and current research on semi-solid formulations as dermal drug delivery systems. We invite articles on all aspects of semi-solid formulations, highlighting the research currently undertaken to improve and better understand these complex drug delivery systems with respect to their formulation, processing and characterization issues.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This Special Issue covers manufacturing of a smart polymer composites via choice of ingredients, such as polymer, filler, and additives, as well as their unique composition. It also covers the smart processing of polymer composites, which is influenced by the choice of mixers, processing condition, processing technique, etc.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Since their first application in the improvement of solubility of orally delivered drugs, applications of solid dispersions have considerably expanded to include cancer, infections, and inflammatory conditions. This book presents recent advancements in the development and use of solid dispersions for different therapeutic applications. This book can be particularly useful for researchers as well as postgraduate students in formulation sciences and drug delivery. Undergraduate students will also find elements of this book very relevant to scientific fundamentals such as solubility and crystallization of amorphous materials as well as drug delivery challenges.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Solvent polarity and hydrogen-bonding character play important roles in determining the magnitude of the solute-solvent interactions that control chemical reaction rates and equilibrium concentrations of chemically special species dissolved in both water and organic mono-solvents, as well as in binary (and higher-order multicomponent) solvent systems and molecularly organized aqueous-surfactant mixtures. Spectroscopic methods employing solvatochromic probe molecules have provided valuable information in the form of empirical solvent polarity and hydrogen-bonding scales that can be used to understand and predict the effect of binary solvent composition on solute solubility, equilibrium constants, and chemical reaction rates, to investigate preferential solvation in binary solvent mixtures, and to examine interfacial regions of aqueous micelles formed by ionic surfactants.This Special Issue contains five very informative review articles as well as ten original research papers and communications that report the synthesis of new solvatochromic probe molecules, measurement of new spectroscopic data, and development of new computational methods. The large range of topics covered illustrates that solvatochromic probe studies have been and still continue to be a very important and active research area. This Special Issue will be a valuable resource for researchers conducting solvatochromic probe studies.

Listed by Unglue.it.

Stimuli-responsive polymer systems can be defined as functional materials that show physical or chemical property changes in response to external stimuli such as temperature, radiation, chemical agents, pH, mechanical stress, and electric and magnetic fields. Recent developments in manufacturing techniques have facilitated the production of a wide range of stimuli-responsive polymer systems, such as micro- and nanoscale structures, with potential applications in soft sensors and actuators, smart textiles, soft robots, and artificial muscles. This book brings together the recent progress in manufacturing techniques, with particular emphasis on 3D and 4D printing and applications of stimuli-responsive polymer systems in biomedicine and soft robotics.

Listed by Unglue.it.

This Special Issue is one of the first for the new MDPI flagship journal Chemistry (ISSN 2624-8549) which has a broad remit for publishing original research in all areas of chemistry. The theme of this issue is Supramolecular Chemistry in the 3rd Millennium and I am sure that this topic will attract many exciting contributions. We chose this topic because it encompasses the unity of contemporary pluridisciplinary science, in which organic, inorganic, physical and theoretical chemists work together with molecular biologists and physicists to develop a systems-level understanding of molecular interactions. The description of supramolecular chemistry as ‘chemistry beyond the molecule’ (Jean-Marie Lehn, Nobel Lecture and Gautam R. Desiraju, Nature, 2001, 412, 397) addresses the wide variety of weak, non-covalent interactions that are the basis for the assembly of supramolecular architectures, molecular receptors and molecular recognition, programed molecular systems, dynamic combinatorial libraries, coordination networks and functional supramolecular materials. We welcome submissions from all disciplines involved in this exciting and evolving area of science.

Listed by Unglue.it.

The crystal chemistry of spin crossover (SCO) behavior in coordination compounds can potentially be in association with smart materials—promising materials for applications as components of memory devices, displays, sensors and mechanical devices and, especially, actuators, such as artificial muscles. This Special Issue is devoted to various aspects of SCO and related research, comprising 18 interesting original papers on valuable and important SCO topics. Significant and fundamental scientific attention has been focused on the SCO phenomena in a wide research range of fields of fundamental chemical and physical and related sciences, containing the interdisciplinary regions of chemical and physical sciences related to the SCO phenomena. Coordination materials with bistable systems between the LS and the HS states are usually triggered by external stimuli, such as temperature, light, pressure, guest molecule inclusion, soft X-ray, and nuclear decay. Since the first Hofmann-like spin crossover (SCO) behavior in {Fe(py)2[Ni(CN)4]}n (py = pyridine) was demonstrated, this crystal chemistry motif has been frequently used to design Fe(II) SCO materials to enable determination of the correlations between structural features and magnetic properties.

Listed by Unglue.it.