"Advances in Sustainable Polymeric Materials" is a compilation of 22 articles highlighting the recent progress in the research and development of polymeric materials, with an emphasis on sustainability. Some papers focus on developing biodegradable plastics obtained from renewable sources such as starch and biomass waste. Other articles discuss modification techniques to improve the mechanical properties of biopolymers such as PLA and PHAs. The use of recycled polymeric materials in the construction industry is highlighted as a low-cost and environmentally friendly solution.Other studies include investigations on polymer-modified bitumen, a novel sound-absorbing material made from used palm-oil-based polyurethane foam and water hyacinth fibre composite, bio-based epoxy-lignin coatings, TiO2 nanocomposites, the photocatalytic activity of different polymeric composites, sustainable elastomers, interactions between vanillyl-alcohol-based epoxy and cross-linkers, polyvinyl chloride sorbent for rare earth elements, lignin-based thermoplastic, the chemical foaming process of polylactic acid, microencapsulation strategies for essential oils, electrochemical sensors for glucose determination, and an intelligent drug delivery system based on pH-sensitive polymeric formulations.It is important to recognize that the field of sustainable polymeric materials is vast and rapidly evolving, and while a single volume cannot entirely capture all the developments occurring in this field, this collection provides readers with a valuable introduction and overview of the topic.

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This Special Issue “Characterization of Nanomaterials” collects nine selected papers presented at the 6th Dresden Nanoanalysis Symposium, held at Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems in Dresden, Germany, on 31 August 2018. Following the specific motto of this annual symposium “Materials challenges—Micro- and nanoscale characterization”, it covered various topics of nanoscale materials characterization along the whole value and innovation chain, from fundamental research up to industrial applications. The scope of this Special Issue is to provide an overview of the current status, recent developments and research activities in the field of nanoscale materials characterization, with a particular emphasis on future scenarios. Primarily, analytical techniques for the characterization of thin films and nanostructures are discussed, including modeling and simulation. We anticipate that this Special Issue will be accessible to a wide audience, as it explores not only methodical aspects of nanoscale materials characterization, but also materials synthesis, fabrication of devices and applications.

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This Special Issue of "Nanostructural Materials with Rare Earth Ions: Synthesis, Physicochemical Characterization, Modification and Applications" is related to studies of nanometer-sized materials doped and co-doped with rare earth ions and the creation of periodically ordered nanostructures based on single nanoparticles. A small particle size implies a high sensitivity and selectivity. These new effects and possibilities are mainly due to the quantum effects resulting from the increasing ratio of surface-to-volume atoms in low-dimensional systems. An important factor in this context is the design and fabrication of nanocomponents displaying new functionalities and characteristics for the improvement of existing materials, including photonic materials, conductive materials, polymers and biocomposites. With this concept in mind, the aim of the Special Issue is to publish research on innovative materials and their applications.Topics to be covered in this Special Issue include, but are not limited to, the following: Technology and applications of nanomaterials with rare earth ions; Advanced physicochemical properties, characterization and modification of nanomaterials with rare earth ions; Novel active materials, especially organic and inorganic materials, nanocrystalline materials, nanoceramics doped and co-doped with rare-earth ions with bio-related and emerging applications; Magnetic properties of nano-sized rare-earth compounds; Applications of nano-sized rare-earth-doped and co-doped optical materials.

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