Preface

Previous ICESCE conferences were held in Shenzhen, Kunming, Haikou (China), Shenzhen from 2015-2019. In light of the worldwide spread of COVID-19, the conference organizing committee has decided to postpone the 6th edition conference to July 17-19, 2020 in Dali, China for the safety and health of all the participants. The 2020 6th International Conference on Energy Science and Chemical Engineering (ICESCE 2020) is to bring together innovative academics and industrial experts in the field of energy science and chemical engineering to a common forum. The primary goal of the conference is to promote research and developmental activities in energy science and chemical engineering and another goal is to promote scientific information interchange between researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners working all around the world.The meeting focused on the latest research fields of “Energy Science” and “Chemical Engineering”. It consists of two parts: speeches of keynote speakers and oral presentations. More than 100 participants attended the meeting, they were from China, Bulgarian, Canada, India, South Africa, Italy, Ireland and more. In the first part, we invited two professors as our keynote speakers. Prof. Lei Xing, Institute of Green Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Jiangsu University, China as well as our conference chair. He performed a speech on Functionally graded electrodes and segmented design toward the commercialization of PEM (proton exchange membrane) fuel cells. His research on PEM fuel cells improved cell performance. Assoc. Prof. Md. Hasanuzzaman, Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), University of Malaya, Malaysia. He talked about Global Challenges in the Energy Sector: Prospects of Solar Thermal Energy. He appealed to make full use of the solar thermal energy to slow down the global warming and climate change. Their insightful speeches had triggered heated discussion in the second session of the conference. Every participant praised this conference for disseminating useful and insightful knowledge.List of Conference Chair, Organizing Committee and Technical Committee are available in this pdf.

In the face of the shared challenges posed by climate change, energy transition, and sustainable development, energy science, environmental science, and materials science have increasingly emerged as core disciplines supporting future social development, attracting growing attention from the international academic and technological innovation communities. In this context, the 2025 9th International Conference on Energy, Environment and Materials Science (EEMS 2025) was successfully held in Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, China, from December 26 to 28, 2025. The conference brought together experts and scholars from universities, research institutions, and industries worldwide to discuss cutting-edge advances, key challenges, and development pathways relevant to the conference themes. Supported by Universiti Raman Malaysia, the conference focused on multiple subfields including green energy, environmental governance, and advanced materials. It aimed to build an open, collaborative, and innovative international academic platform, thereby facilitating the integrated development of theoretical exploration and technological applications. This conference was honored to invite a number of experts to deliver keynote speeches. Prof. Xinyong Li from Dalian University of Technology shared the design of spinel derivative-based functional materials and their application in the solar-driven catalytic conversion of methane into high-value chemicals. Prof. Haitao Li from Jiangsu University discussed the technical pathways for green ammonia synthesis under the “Dual Carbon” goal. Prof. Boon Tong Goh from Universiti Malaya introduced the nanostructures of metal oxides and nitrides prepared via plasma-assisted reactive thermal evaporation and their applications in hydrogen production. Prof. Omar Chaalal from Abu Dhabi University proposed an innovative process for methanol production based on flue gas carbon dioxide capture and green hydrogen conversion. These presentations not only showcased high-level research outcomes in the respective fields but also provided valuable academic insights to the participants. List of Committee Members is available in this PDF.

The 2021 6th International Symposium on Energy Science and Chemical Engineering (ISESCE 2021) was held on January 22-24, 2021 as a virtual conference due to the growing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak (COVID-19), and in order to protect the well-being of our attendees, partners, and staff as our number one priority. ISESCE 2021 is to bring together innovative academics and industrial experts in the field of energy science and chemical engineering to a common forum. The primary goal of the conference is to promote research and developmental activities in energy science and chemical engineering and another goal is to promote scientific information interchange between researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners working all around the world. The conference will be held every year to make it an ideal platform for people to share views and experiences in energy science and chemical engineering and related areas.This scientific event brings together more than 90 national and international researchers in energy science and chemical engineering. On top of the local participants coming from different national universities, international participants are also registered from different countries, namely Australia, Brazil, South Africa and Ireland. During the conference, the conference model was divided into three sessions, including oral presentations, keynote speeches, and online Q&A discussion. In the first part, some scholars, whose submissions were selected as the excellent papers, were given about 5-10 minutes to perform their oral presentations one by one. Then in the second part, keynote speakers were each allocated 30-45 minutes to hold their speeches.List of Committee member, Conference Chairmen, Conference Procedure Committees, Technical Program Committees and this titles are available in this pdf.

Due to recent pandemic, 2022 8th International Conference on Applied Materials and Manufacturing Technology (ICAMMT 2022) was held virtually online on April 15th-17th, 2022. The decision to hold the virtual conference was made in compliance with many restrictions and regulations that were imposed by countries around the globe. Such restrictions were made to minimize the risk of people contracting or spreading the COVID-19 through physical contact. There were 160 individuals who attended this online conference, represented many countries.ICAMMT 2022 is to bring together innovative academics and industrial experts in the field of Manufacturing Technology and Applied Materials to a common forum. The primary goal of the conference is to promote research and developmental activities in manufacturing technology and engineering materials, and another goal is to promote scientific information interchange between researchers, developers, engineers, students, and practitioners working all around the world. The conference will be held every year to make it an ideal platform for people to share views and experiences in Manufacturing Technology, Intelligent Manufacturing and Applied Materials and related areas.During the conference, the conference model was divided into three sessions, including oral presentations, keynote speeches, and online Q&A discussion. In the first part, some scholars, whose submissions were selected as the excellent papers, were given about 5-10 minutes to perform their oral presentations one by one. Then in the second part, keynote speakers were each allocated 30-45 minutes to hold their speeches.In the second part, we invited four professors as our keynote speakers. Prof. Yajun Liu, South China University of Technology, China. His research interest is in the areas of Mechanical system signal testing, analysis, characterization, control and performance optimization. The second keynote speakers, Prof. Honggang Dong, School of Materials Science and Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, China. His research area is Refilled friction stir spot welding of aluminum alloy to galvanized steel sheets. Prof. Weiwei Zhao, Wuhan University of Technology, China. His research area includes Characterization of mechanical and mechanical properties of polymer hydrogels, research and development of biomimetic electroactive hydrogels, and applications of polymer materials in microfluidic devices and biomedicine. Lastly, we were glad to invite Prof. Md. Akhtaruzzaman, Solar Energy Research Institute (SERI) of The National University of Malaysia as our finale keynote speakers. He studied on the design and synthesis of new organic heterocyclic compounds for EL device application. Their insightful speeches had triggered heated discussion in the third session of the conference. Every participant praised this conference for disseminating useful and insightful knowledge.The proceedings are a compilation of the accepted papers and represent an interesting outcome of the conference. Topics include but are not limited to the following areas: New Materials and Advanced Materials, Advanced Design Technology, Manufacturing Systems and Automation and other related topics. All the papers have been through rigorous review and process to meet the requirements of international publication standard.We would like to acknowledge all of those who supported ICAMMT 2022. The help and contribution of each individual and institution was instrumental in the success of the conference. In particular, we would like to thank the organizing committee for its valuable inputs in shaping the conference program and reviewing the submitted papers.The Committee of ICAMMT 2022List of Committee member is available in this Pdf.

It is our great honor to welcome you to the 2020 International Symposium on New Energy and Electrical Technology (ISNEET 2020) held on September 18-20, 2020 in Changsha, China. ISNEET 2020 welcomes researchers, engineers, scientists and industry professionals to an open forum where advances in the field of New Energy and Electrical Technology can be shared and examined. The conference is an ideal platform for keeping up with advances and changes to a consistently morphing field. Leading researchers and industry experts from around the globe will be presenting the latest studies through papers and oral presentations.The meeting consists of two parts: oral presentations and speeches of keynote speakers. More than 50 participants attended the meeting. We were greatly honored to have invited Dr. Thanikaivelan Palanisamy from CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute, India to serve as our Conference Chairs.In the keynote presentations part, we invited three professors as our keynote speakers. Our beloved Conference Chair, Dr. Thanikaivelan Palanisamy was also invited to present his talk Collagen Derived Advanced Materials for Energy and Environmental Applications. His research proposed new avenues for converting industrial bio-wastes into useful multifunctional advanced materials based on nanoscience approach are scalable and inexpensive thereby minimizing pollution and maximizing environmental sustainability. Dr. Ruomei Li, our second keynote speakers, from Tsinghua University, China presented her latest research: The Role of Human Nature in the Energy Revolution. Her speech had mainly analyzed the negative reactions from different sectors of the energy industry in facing the challenge of energy revolution, and Point out that those are the natural reflection of human nature. The last keynote speaker was Prof. Deng Feng, Changsha University of Science and Technology, China. Her speech topic is: Key technology of high precision real-time monitoring and control in the distribution network. This talk aimed to introduce the key technology of high precision real-time monitoring and control in the distribution network which has promoted significantly the scientific and technological progress in the field of distribution network safety monitoring, which is significant in reducing the hidden danger of personal equipment, reducing power outage, improving the utilization rate of equipment and improving the quality of people’s production and life.ISNEET 2020 is to bring together innovative academics and industrial experts in the field of New Energy and Electrical Technology to a common forum. Therefore, we compiled a lot of excellent papers featuring the latest advanced studies on the following topics: New energy resources, Electrical Systems, Energy Science and Energy Technology, Energy management and other related topics. All the papers have been through rigorous review and process to meet the requirements of International publication standard.We are really grateful to the International/National advisory committee, keynote speakers, session chairs, organizing committee members, student volunteers and administrative assistance of the management section of University, including accounts section, digital media and publication house. Also, we are thankful to all the authors for contributing a large number of papers in the conference, because of which the conference became a story of success. It was the quality of their presentations and their passion to communicate with the other participants that really make this conference series a great success.The Organizing Committee of ISNEET 2020List of Committee member, Conference Chair, Organizing Committees, Technical Committees are available in the pdf.

The 2022 4th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence Technologies and Applications (ICAITA 2022), hosted by Changchun University of Science and Technology, was successfully held on August 19-21, 2022 in Changchun, China as a virtual event. Aiming to bring together innovative academics and industrial experts in the field of Artificial Intelligence Technologies and Applications to a common forum, ICAITA 2022 promoted research and developmental activities in this field.We had the honor of having invited Professor Huamin Yang from Changchun University of Science and Technology, Professor Shoufeng Tong from Changchun University of Science and Technology, and Professor Zhijun Zhang from South China University of Technology to serve as our General Conference Chairs. The online conference was composed of keynote speeches, oral presentations, and online Q&A discussion, attracting 120 individuals worldwide. Firstly, keynote speakers were each allocated 30-45 minutes to hold their speeches. Then in the oral presentations, the excellent papers we had selected were presented by their authors by turns.During the conference, six distinguished professors were invited as keynote speakers to address speeches. Among them, Prof. Qinmin Yang from Zhejiang University, China addressed a thought-provoking speech on Theoretical Research and Practice in Intelligent Control Design for Wind Energy. By studying the latest theoretical progress in the field of industrial artificial intelligence and control, this research attempted to propose some new methods to improve the efficiency and reliability of wind power access and regulation, hoping to provide some new tools and methods for the realization of the next-generation energy network in our country. Moreover, Prof. Shujun Li from University of Kent, UK made a report on When Humans and Computers Come Together: A New or Resurged Old Research Paradigm? He studied the historical roots of key concepts of putting humans and computers together and application backgrounds of such topics and concepts, and made his attempt on connecting many of them. Last but not least, Prof. Zhigeng Pan from Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology, China shared with us his research: Application of VR/AR and AI to Education in Metaverse, in which he briefly introduced VR/AR/Human-Computer Interaction technologies in the metaverse and discussed the application of these technologies in smart education. Their dramatic keynote speeches had triggered heated discussion. Besides, every participant praised this conference for disseminating useful and insightful knowledge.The proceedings of ICAITA 2022 are a compilation of the accepted papers and represent an interesting outcome of the conference. These papers feature but are not limited to the following topics: Artificial Neural Networks, Neuroinformatics, DNA Computing and Quantum Computing, Fuzzy Logic and Methods, Machine Learning, etc. All the papers have been checked through rigorous review and processes to meet the requirements of publication.On behalf of the conference organizing committee, we would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to all the keynote speakers, peer reviewers, and all the participants. Particularly, we would like to acknowledge the Journal of Physics: Conference Series, for the endeavor of all its colleagues in publishing this paper volume. With the strong support, we firmly believe that ICAITA 2022 has been beneficial to all attendees.Committee of ICAITA 2022List of Committee member are available in the Pdf.

With the acceleration of the global energy transition and the advancement of green and low-carbon development goals, the field of power and energy is facing unprecedented opportunities and challenges. The large-scale integration of renewable energy, rapid development of new energy storage technologies, digital transformation of power systems, and widespread adoption of smart grid technologies are reshaping the industry landscape. Emerging technologies such as distributed energy, virtual plant, microgrids, artificial intelligent & machine learning and blockchain are becoming focal points of the field, driving the development of power systems towards greater efficiency, intelligence, flexibility, and sustainability. To provide an important platform for academic exchange and sharing of research achievements in the global energy engineering field, 2025 International Conference on Energy Science and Interdisciplinary-study (ICESI) was held from Sep. 19 to 21, 2025, in Guangzhou, China. The conference is sponsored by South China University of Technology (SCUT), and organized by Zhongda Academic Exchange Research Center (ZDAERC), and Zhongqi Tongwen (Xiamen) Research Institute, Shaanxi Tongwen Tongxue Education Development Co., Ltd, as well as Guangzhou City Uuniversity of Technology. The conference featured a variety of formats, including keynote speeches, invited talks, specialized seminars, thematic discussions, and poster presentations. Researchers, engineers, scholars, and professionals in the field of Energy Science and Interdisciplinary energy, power engineering, and artificial intelligent joined us in sharing their valuable insights. Through this conference, we can foster academic exchanges and collaboration, drive industrial development, and shape an energy and power ecosystem that is green, low-carbon, highly efficient, and cost-effective. We would like to thank the following ICESI 2025 Committee members for their contributions to this conference. List of Organization Committee is available in this PDF.

The 2022 2nd International Conference on Measurement Control and Instrumentation (MCAI 2022) was held in Guangzhou, China from July 22 to 24, 2022. In view of the current COVID-19 pandemic, it was chosen to be held online. MCAI 2022 promoted research and developmental activities in the fields of “Measurement Control” and “Instrumentation” as well as scientific information interchange between researchers, engineers, and practitioners working all around the world.In the conference, we had the honor of having invited both Prof. Guixiong Liu from South China University of Technology, China and Prof. Zhen Zhou, Guangzhou Hexin Instrument Co., Ltd., China to serve as our Conference General Chairs. The conference consisted of keynote speeches, oral presentations and online Q&A discussion, attracting 100 individuals and institutions worldwide. Primarily, keynote speakers were each allocated 30-45 minutes to hold their speeches. Then in the oral presentations, the excellent papers we had selected were presented by their authors by turns.We were delighted and honored to invite three prominent professors as keynote speakers to deliver their speeches. For a start, Prof. Zongmin Ma from North University of China showed us his research: Non-contact Atomic Force Microscopy Instruments and Atomic Scale Precision Measurements. By developing the ultra-high vacuum non-contact atomic force microscope (NC-AFM), he solved the key technologies of probe vibration control and precise detection, force spectrum measurement, and realized atomic scale imaging characterization in terms of non-destructive imaging of magnetic information and uncoupled measurement of surface charge. Besides, Assoc. Prof. Zhiwei Shi from Guangdong University of Technology, China made a report on Multi-sensor Information Fusion Technology for Intelligent Networked Vehicles. Aiming at the development of intelligent networked vehicles, he proposed a vehicle headlight far-light system based on multi-sensor information fusion, which mainly includes three major parts: information fusion, drive control and optical design, ensuring in a maximum degree the intelligent lighting functions and simple structure, low cost. The wonderful speeches of each keynote speaker had triggered heated discussion. Besides, every participant praised this conference for disseminating useful and insightful knowledge.List of Committee member is available in this pdf.

State-of-the-art review on the application of microfluidics in biogeotechnology

SPECIALTY GRAND CHALLENGE article Front. Chem., 26 March 2013Sec. Analytical Chemistry https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2013.00005

2019 International Conference on Materials Science and Manufacturing Engineering (MSME 2019) was held in Guangzhou, China from Nov.7 to 9, 2019. MSME 2019 was organized by Hong Kong Society of Mechanical Engineers (HKSME), supported by South China university of technology. The conference provides a useful and wide platform both for display the latest research and for exchange of research results and thoughts in Materials Science, Manufacturing Engineering and other topics. The participants of the conference were from almost every part of the world, with background of either academia or industry, even well-known enterprise. The success and prosperity of the conference is reflected high level of the papers received.The proceedings are a compilation of the accepted papers and represent an interesting outcome of the conference. This book covers 3 chapters: Materials engineering, Design and manufacturing and Aerospace engineering.We would like to acknowledge all of those who supported MSME 2019. Each individual and institutional help were very important for the success of this conference. Especially we would like to thank the organizing committee for their valuable advices in the organization and helpful peer review of the papers.We sincerely hope that MSME 2019 will be a forum for excellent discussions that will put forward new ideas and promote collaborative researches. We are sure that the proceedings will serve as an important research source of references and the knowledge, which will lead to not only scientific and engineering progress but also other new products and processes.Prof. Ruxu Du, South China University of Technology, China

During the past decades, urbanisation in China has centred on land development through industrialisation and investment, but it has largely ignored the prosperity and well-being of the people.Liveable cities are not just those with magnificent buildings and infrastructure; they are great places where people want to live. China's recently inaugurated leaders have proposed a new model to actively and prudently enhance the quality of urbanisation through compact, intelligent, and low-carbon development. It symbolises the departure from land-centred urban development to a form of people-oriented urbanisation, as China's Premier, Li Keqiang, has advocated. Quality of life should be one of the key goals for the new model of urbanisation.This new model offers a platform for planning researchers and practitioners to tackle urbanisation challenges, such as social equity, environment, energy, ecological and historic preservation, affordable housing, and externalities of mega cities. Further, a people-oriented urbanisation approach calls for public participation and stakeholder engagement in the planning process.The eighth annual conference of the International Association for China Planning (IACP) was held in Guangzhou, China, 21-22 June 2014. It was organised by IACP and South China University of Technology (SCUT), co-organised by the Guangdong Urban & Rural Planning and Design Institute, Guangzhou KEY CITY Planning & Survey Technological Co. Ltd., Guangzhou Teamzero Architecture and Planning Co. Ltd., Lincoln Institute of Land Policy, Peking University-Lincoln Institute Center (PLC) for Urban Development and Land Policy, and Ohio State University. It was also sponsored by the American Planning Association (APA), Case Studies on Transport Policy, Springer, Travel Behaviour & Society, and the Urban Planning Society of China.The conference brought together more than 250 planning scholars and practitioners from around the world, including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, Singapore, Australia, the United States , Canada, Great Britain, Spain, Belgium, Netherlands, Turkey, India, and Ghana, among others. During the conference, 169 papers were presented across 36 parallel sessions, as well as six keynote presentations. The conference also included the second Dean's Forum on urban planning.Opening sessionThe conference had an opening ceremony on 21 June (Figure 1), with IACP Chair Qisheng Pan (Texas Southern University) and Dean Yimin Sun, the Executive Deputy Dean of the School of Architecture at SCUT, co-presiding. Academician Jingtang He (SCUT) welcomed all those attendees and delivered introductory remarks on China's urban planning and design process. Qisheng Pan greeted the conference delegates, reviewed IACP's history and missions, addressed the conference theme and objectives, and also introduced keynote speakers and distinguished guests. Yimin Sun also gave the audience a warm welcome and introduced the diverse academic offerings and outstanding research accomplishments of the School of Architecture, SCUT. Two internationally renowned scholars and one chief planner were each invited to give a keynote speech at the opening session.Professor Robert Bullard (Texas Southern University) delivered the first keynote speech of the conference, entitled 'Environmental and sustainability challenges in the United States and China: assessing impacts using an equity lens'. As one of the pioneers addressing environmental equity issues and the father of environmental justice, Bullard examined environmental challenges in the United States using a social equity lens. He also assessed the efficacy of using such a frame in order to understand the growing environmental and sustainability challenges in China. Bullard argued that millions of Americans continue to live in unsafe and unhealthy physical environments, despite significant improvements in environmental protection over the past few decades. …

The 2024 3rd International Conference on Electronics and Integrated Circuit Technology (EICT 2024) took place in Nanchang, China from April 12th to 14th, 2024 via virtual form. The main goal was to bring together scientists, researchers and developers engaged in fields of electronics and integrated circuit technology to bridge the gap between research needs and advanced technological solutions. EICT 2024 focused on research areas such as Electronic Science and Technology, Integrated Circuit Design and Integrated System, Electronic and Optical Information Technology, Integration of New Sensing Technologies and Applications, Semiconductor Sensing Electronics, etc., with high academic value. The Conference provided an opportunity for researchers in the fields and related personnel to present their recent theoretical developments as well as practical applications, discuss unsolved problems, and find solutions to them, fostering research and development in electronics and integrated circuit technology. The Conference attracted experts, scholars, researchers, enterprise representatives and relevant personnel from all over the world, showing wide international influence. They shared the latest research results, exchanged technical experiences and explored cooperation opportunities at the Conference, jointly promoting the development of electronics and integrated circuit technology. We would like to highlight the main developments presented at the Conference and introduce the prominent speakers. The invited speakers of the Conference, who performed dramatic speeches on specific subjects combining their own research experience and professional knowledge, are Prof. Wenjie Feng (South China University of Technology, China), Prof. Qiongfeng Shi (Southeast University, China), Prof. Wu Gao (Northwestern Polytechnical University, China), Prof. Chonghua Fang (Dohitech, China), etc. In the study Calculation and Analysis of Quantum Radar Scattering by Prof. Chonghua Fang, a novel method that can deal with the calculation of the orthogonal projected area (A ⊥ ) of the target in each incidence is proposed. In this report, he introduced a three-step computation process of (A ⊥ ), verified the method for typical 2-D targets, and showed some results for typical 3-D convex targets and compared the QRCS with classical radar cross section (CRCS). Meanwhile, he analyzed the superposition of quantum effect of side lobes which means a kind of novel quantum phenomena. In the final foreword, we would like to thank the speakers, authors, reviewers, and all people involved. We also appreciate the members of Technical Program Committee for giving such an opportunity for all of us to share scientific ideas and new developments at the Conference. Last but not the least, our special acknowledgement also goes to the editors of Journal of Physics: Conference Series, for their preparation and assistance in publishing this paper volume. The Committee of EICT 2024 List of Committee Member is available in this Pdf.

Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) have been investigated intensively as effective energy storage devices that are environmentally friendly, safe, and have a lower cost than current Li-ion batteries.[1-5] Being outstandingly safe due to usage of non-organic electrolyte, AZIBs could also be used as power supply for wearable electronics. This also put high standard requirements in terms of flexibility, stability and electrochemical performance to AZIBs. On the other hand, the general challenges, such as the formation of the dendrites on the Zn anodes, hydrogen evolution and side reactions, have been obstructing the practical application of AZIBs. In this presentation, a simple method to assemble quasi-solid-state Zn ion pouch cell with excellent mechanical performance, flexibility and electrochemical performance was developed, combining in-situ electrodeposition of MnO2 cathode and aramid nano fiber-based hydrogel with Zn plate as anode. In-situ and cycling measurements of the electrodeposition of MnO2 on carbon nanotube mat shows excellent capacitance and superior cycling stability. In addition, Kevlar derivatized aramid nanofiber-based hydrogel shows extremely strong strength when combined with polyvinyl alcohol, which prolonged the lifetime of the cell by preventing Zn dendrite growth largely.[5,6] Moreover, the method to assemble the AZIBs pouch cell enables us to optimize the process, decrease the steps, and save time effectively by taking advantage of hydrogel formation stage and avoiding conventional verbose slurry-casting-drying steps. This work paves an efficient path to assemble flexible and stable AZIBs pouch cells with high capacity and cycling stability.[1] Tang, Boya, et al. "Issues and opportunities facing aqueous zinc-ion batteries." Energy & Environmental Science 12.11 (2019): 3288-3304.[2] Li, Chang, et al. "Toward practical aqueous zinc-ion batteries for electrochemical energy storage." Joule 6.8 (2022): 1733-1738.[3] Yu, Feng, et al. "An aqueous rechargeable zinc-ion battery on basis of an organic pigment." Rare Metals 41.7 (2022): 2230-2236.[4] Lin, Yuexing, et al. "Dendrite-free Zn anode enabled by anionic surfactant-induced horizontal growth for highly-stable aqueous Zn-ion pouch cells." Energy & Environmental Science 16.2 (2023): 687-697.[5] Wang, Peng, and Petru Andrei. "High Performance Separator and Hydrogel Based on Aramid Fibers for Zn Ion Batteries." Electrochemical Society Meeting s 242. No. 4. The Electrochemical Society, Inc., 2022.[6] Xu, Lizhi, et al. "Water‐rich biomimetic composites with abiotic self‐organizing nanofiber network." Advanced Materials 30.1 (2018): 1703343.

Small has fared well in 2015. Eleven years ago, Small was launched in response to the emerging field of nano- and microscale research. Since then, the journal has grown tremendously; in its first year, Small was a monthly journal with a number of submissions just under 500 but, by 2015, the journal has turned into a weekly publication and receives annual submissions of around 4000. With its highest-ever impact factor of 8.368 announced this year, Small continues to be a flagship journal for research in materials science and nanotechnology. Along with the expansion of our journal, as a multidisciplinary area, nano- and microscale research has also experienced a rapid enrichment over the last decade, showing increasing impact in energy, electronics, medicine, and life sciences. Focusing on the current frontiers in nano- and microscale research, the second Small Sciences Symposium was organized in Beijing in September 2015 as an independent session of the China Nano 2015 conference. This symposium received a great deal of support from advisory board members of Small and other journals from the Advanced family. Some of the best regarded names in the research community presented recent advances in diverse fields, ranging from biomimetic surfaces to sustainable energy. This highly successful conference saw the inauguration this year of the Small Young Innovator Awards, which recognizes outstanding, interdisciplinary scientific work in the fundamental understanding of nanoscience and nanotechnology. This year, the prize was awarded to Prof. Xiaodong Chen and Prof. Yi Cui, who come from Nanyang Technological University and Stanford University, respectively. Both winners also gave excellent talks at the Small Sciences Symposium, and received a warm response from the audience. In the first issue of 2016, you may also notice a special series of invited reviews and concept articles, highlighting many recent advances in the frontiers of Small science, such as superwettability, 2D functional materials, tissue engineering, smart sensors, and light-induced water splitting. This dedicated issue was contributed by our distinguished advisory board members, and we will be continuing this series in 2016, with over 30 articles to be published in total. With the continued evolution of materials science, the Advanced family of journals also has some exciting developments. We were pleased to see that Advanced Materials Interfaces and Advanced Electronic Materials have been accepted for listing in the Web of Science, making them more accessible and discoverable for all. In the coming year, Advanced Materials Technologies will be a new member of the Advanced Materials journal family, providing a venue for the publication of articles that focus on applications (including device design) and technologies based on novel materials. In closing this editorial and opening the special issue, we would like to sincerely thank the authors, reviewers, and editorial board members around the world, who have contributed and helped us to identify the excellent papers for our journal over the passing years. It is our honor to work with you together to maintain journal excellence and a quality service to the research community. Our best wishes for the new year!