Nanocomposites

Sustainable Nanocomposites: Circular Design, Manufacturing and Multifunctional Applications

Researchers are now developing bio-based and recycled matrices, renewable fillers and nanofillers made from waste. Progress in development of these materials is creating opportunities across structural engineering, transportation, packaging, construction, biomedical, electronics, energy and environmental technologies. Sustainable nanocomposites combine nanoscale reinforcement with responsible choices in raw materials, processing and product design. Their development extends beyond high performance to consider resource efficiency, durability, repair, reuse, recycling and safe end-of-life management. Circular design applies these considerations from the earliest stages, enabling nanocomposites to deliver desirable mechanical, thermal, electrical, barrier or functional properties while reducing waste. The overall aim is to balance strong performance with practical environmental responsibility.

Nanocomposites can support cleaner technologies and longer-lasting products, yet their environmental benefits cannot be assumed from performance alone. Challenges such as energy-intensive production, hazardous reagents, nanoparticle release, difficult separation of constituents and limited recycling routes must be addressed throughout the material life cycle. Connecting manufacturing and characterisation with circularity, safety and application performance can reveal that are technically effective and environmentally credible. Sustainable nanocomposites aim to address these problems through better material selection and safer manufacturing methods. By combining performance, safety and circularity, thereby sustainable nanocomposites can provide reliable materials with a lower environmental impact.

This Article Collection welcomes original research articles, reviews and short communications on sustainable polymeric, ceramic and hybrid nanocomposites. Relevant themes include bio-based, biodegradable, recycled and waste-derived constituents; green synthesis and functionalisation; low-energy, solvent-reduced, additive and scalable manufacturing; dispersion and interface engineering; advanced, in-situ and multiscale characterisation; modelling and data-driven materials design; durability, repairability, self-healing and reprocessing; nanofiller recovery and end-of-life management; life-cycle assessment, nanotoxicity and safe-and-sustainable-by-design approaches. Contributions may also examine multifunctional systems for lightweight structures, energy storage and conversion, thermal management, electromagnetic shielding, sensors, smart packaging, catalysis, water treatment and environmental remediation. Studies that connect processing, structure, properties, function and sustainability metrics, including industrial case studies and perspectives on standardisation or scale-up, are especially encouraged.

Keywords: Sustainable nanocomposites; Circular design; Green manufacturing; Advanced characterisation; Multifunctional materials

­­All manuscripts submitted to this Article Collection will undergo a full peer-review; the Guest Advisor for this Collection will not be handling the manuscripts (unless they are an Editorial Board member).

Please review the journal scope and author submission instructions prior to submitting a manuscript.

The deadline for submitting manuscripts is [8 June 2027].

Please contact [Agnes Zhou] at [Agnes.Zhou@taylorandfrancis.com] with any queries and discount codes regarding this Article Collection.

Please be sure to select "Sustainable Nanocomposites: Circular Design, Manufacturing and Multifunctional Applications" from the drop-down menu in the submission system.

Professor Maurice N. Collins is Sustainable and Resilient Materials Pillar Lead at the Bernal Institute, University of Limerick, Head of Research & Innovation at the School of Engineering, Challenge Lead at BiOrbic, and Funded Investigator at AMBER. He has secured more than €35 million in competitive research funding from sources including Research Ireland, Horizon 2020, Horizon Europe, the Irish Research Council, Marie Curie, DAFM, Enterprise Ireland, and industry. He led LIBRE, Europe’s largest Horizon 2020 consortium on lignin-based carbon fibres, currently coordinates the CARBOWAVE consortium, and recently secured a €1.6 million infrastructure grant to support sustainable materials scale-up. A globally recognised leader in sustainable materials, he holds multiple US and European patents, is ranked among the top 2% of scientists worldwide by Stanford University, and is a Fellow of both the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) and IOM3. With more than 14,000 citations and an h-index exceeding 65, he is a highly cited researcher, respected mentor, journal editorial board member, and evaluator for the European Research Council, Horizon Europe, and international funding agencies.

Dr. Rahul Samyal is currently working as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Bernal Institute, School of Engineering, University of Limerick, Ireland. He completed his Doctorate from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Dr.B. R. Ambedkar National Institute of Technology, Jalandhar, Punjab, India. His current research interests include Sustainable Manufacturing, Material Characterization, Microwave Heating, Metallurgy, Modal Analysis.

Dr. Edward Archer is a Senior Lecturer in Advanced Composite Materials at Ulster University. His research focuses on manufacturing and characterising composite materials and the prediction of their properties. He is a Senior Fellow of the HEA and has developed bespoke composites training courses for aerospace professionals, delivering it to over 1200 engineers in the UK, Ireland and Canada.