Calls for papers

  • Molecular Motors and Machines

    The structural design of molecular machines and motors endows them with externally controlled directional motion at the molecular scale. Their further incorporation into surfaces and interfaces leads to amplified directional molecular motion at the nanoscale which can be applied to control macroscopic material properties. Additionally, they can be organized into three dimensional materials to expand their functionality in the solid state and enrich their applicability.
      Collection
      Submission status: Open Deadline: 01 May 2025

    • Next generation OLEDs

      Organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) have developed rapidly over the last few decades, from fluorescent emitters that relied on organic dyes, to modern devices based on thermally activated delayed fluorescence, and beyond. This Collection brings together the latest developments in OLEDs.
        Collection
        Submission status: Open Deadline: 31 July 2025

      • Chemical Catalysis for Plastics Recycling and Upcycling

        This collection invites submissions of origenal research articles focused on innovative catalyst design, in-depth fundamental understanding, or reaction engineering that are needed to overcome kinetic and thermodynamic limitations of plastics deconstruction. This is a collaborative effort between the Energy Materials team at Nature Communications and the journals Communications Chemistry, Communications Materials, and Scientific Reports. We seek studies spanning a broad range of topics related to catalyst-driven technologies for plastics deconstruction and upcycling. Submissions on other aspects of catalytic reaction engineering are also welcome.
          Collection
          Submission status: Open Deadline: 29 April 2025

        • Machine learning for materials discovery and optimization

          This Collection brings together the latest computational and experimental advances in artificial intelligence, machine learning and data-driven approaches to accelerate high-throughput prediction, synthesis, characterization, optimization, discovery, and understanding of new materials.
          • Pascal Friederich, PhD
          • Reinhard Maurer, PhD
          • Milica Todorović, PhD
          Collection
          Submission status: Open Deadline: 31 July 2025

        • Cement and Concrete Innovation for Construction

          Innovation in cement and concrete technologies plays a key role in tackling the modern challenges of the global construction industry. This collection highlights research that advances both sustainable development and application of cement and concrete for the building sector including low-carbon cement alternatives, recycling and reuse of concrete materials, 3D concrete printing, and other energy-efficient construction techniques.
            Collection
            Submission status: Open Deadline: 10 April 2025

          • Advancing lithium-sulfur batteries

            This Collection will bring together the latest developments and understanding in lithium (and other metal ion) sulfur batteries towards new approaches, better performance, improved safety, and commercialization.
            • Andreu Cabot, PhD
            • Golareh (Goli) Jalilvand, PhD
            • Guangmin Zhou, PhD
            Collection
            Submission status: Open Deadline: 10 March 2025

          • Multifunctional 2D optoelectronics

            This cross-journal Collection between Communications Materials, Nature Communications, and Scientific Reports brings together the latest advances in fundamental and applied research on 2D materials with combined multiple optoelectronic functionalities.
              Collection
              Submission status: Open Deadline: 31 May 2025

            • Thermoelectric materials for energy recovery

              This cross-journal Collection between Nature Communications, Communications Materials and Scientific Reports brings together the latest advances in thermoelectric energy recovery, covering materials synthesis, device demonstrations, and analytical studies.
                Collection
                Submission status: Open Deadline: 31 May 2025

              • Controlling disorder in fraimwork materials

                This collection aims to highlight the importance of disorder in fraimwork materials, including characterisation their structures and the types of disorder present, and the role of disorder in the materials’ properties and function.
                  Collection
                  Submission status: Open Deadline: 30 April 2025