Ordered Structures of Nanomaterials in Advanced Composites

Nanomaterials have become a global research hot spot for their wide applications since late last century. Among all the emerging nanotechnologies, great efforts have been devoted to building well-designed structures because it is the most efficient way to exploit the advantages of nanomaterials at a larger scale in practical applications. These orderly assembled structures can be used directly as functional architectures or filled in composites as integrated reinforcements. Either way, the creation of ordered structures built from nanomaterials offers a programmable strategy to bridge the micro- and macroscopic worlds. According to the large variety of nanomaterials, in terms of nanoparticles, nanowires and nanoplates, etc., their varied material characteristics and distinct morphological features have rendered the assembled structures versatile for many high-tech applications.

The big family of nanomaterials keeps growing with the discovery of new materials, such as two-dimensional layered materials, new carbon materials, bio-based nanomaterials and so on. Due to the diverse chemical/physical nature and geometrical morphologies of the assembled structures, the abundant characteristics increasingly attract interests from a broad research field. This Research Topic aims to advance the fundamental understanding of the ordered structures assembled from emerging nanomaterials, and to promote the applications in high-performance and functional composites. The major concerns include the interaction and interface problems within the multi-component systems, the assembly dynamics, and featured functions of original architectures, as well as advantages and working mechanisms of these structures in advanced composites.

This Research Topic of Frontiers in Materials assembles papers from a broad range of innovative research relating to ordered structures of nanomaterials, exploiting their advanced applications in the form of composite materials. Composites made of polymeric/metallic/ceramic matrix and structured fillers, as well as hybrid structures built by more than two constituents, are both in the scope covered by the current issue. Manuscripts devoted to the following topics are highly recommended while other high-quality studies within the scope are also welcome:

i) novel architectures built by new nanomaterials and/or new methods;

ii) models and mechanics of these newly developed composite systems;

iii) advanced applications of orderly assembled structures and their composites;

iv) stretchable/flexible composites with reliable functions.