A Special Issue on Advanced Functional Materials: A Modern Perspective

摘要

Advanced functional materials play an ever increasing role in our modern society owing to the commendable progresses made in the science and engineering of such materials based on plastics, ceramics, renewable energy and sensors etc. As a matter of fact, one cannot survive today in the daily-life without using millions of products obtained from advances made in the field. Advanced functional materials as such covers different material classes ranging from the hard novel ceramics, metals, semiconductors, solar cells, to soft organic compounds, polymers and smart hybrid materials. Their characteristic electrical, optical and magnetic properties make them suitable for designing products and devices based on nanotechnology as well. Aspects of technological forays made in the field include nano-technology, bio-based technology, sensor technology, energy-based technology, high performance material-based technology, and fuel cell technology. Much of the progress in designing such advanced materials have only been possible because of significant advances made in different routes and techniques of synthesis (and related chemistry) adopted for the purpose combined with advanced characterization tools becoming available in the last few decades.