Functional Materials Engineering for Sustainable Energy Conversion and Storage

This Research Topic aims to bridge the critical gap between cutting-edge material design and sustainable energy applications. We invite original research, reviews, mini reviews and opinion pieces focusing on the synthesis, characterization, and scalability of multifunctional materials, including transition metal-based systems, high-entropy structures, and hybrid nanomaterials. The scope emphasizes the transition from fundamental discovery to practical implementation of chemical manufacturing in water splitting, fuel cells, batteries, supercapacitors, salinity gradient energy harvesting and electrochemical water desalination. We specifically encourage submissions that provide deep mechanistic insights into structure-activity relationships, theoretical analysis, intrinsic properties, and long-term stability. Contributions addressing the mitigation of degradation under realistic operational conditions are particularly welcomed. By integrating atomic-level precision with system-level durability, this issue seeks to advance the development of cost-effective, high-performance solutions for next-generation energy conversion and storage.This Research Topic aims to advance the design, synthesis, and mechanistic understanding of multifunctional materials for sustainable chemical engineering, energy storage and conversion devices. While conventional materials often require trade-offs among activity, durability, and cost, modern energy systems, such as industrial-scale electrolyzers, fuel cells, supercapacitors, Salinity gradient energy harvesting and metal-air batteries, demand integrated solutions that simultaneously optimize catalytic performance, structural integrity, and mass-transport kinetics under harsh operating conditions. Recent breakthroughs in defect engineering, high-entropy alloys, and hybrid nanostructured composites have provided novel pathways to tune material properties at the atomic scale. Advancing high-performance electrochemical water desalination technologies to address water pollution and scarcity can be another interesting topic. We also encourage research applying AI, machine learning, and data-driven approaches to nanomaterial discovery, process optimization, and performance prediction. However, bridging the gap between fundamental, high-performance characteristics and the realization of scalable, cost-effective, and long-lasting energy systems remains a critical challenge. This issue invites studies that translate atomic-level structural insights into robust, practical implementations for next-generation energy conversion and storage.This Research Topic explores the vital synergy between advanced material design and process-level implementation in sustainable chemical engineering, energy storage and conversion devices. As modern energy systems evolve, the demand for multifunctional materials that balance high catalytic activity, structural stability, and efficient mass transport becomes increasingly critical. Welcomed topics include, but are not limited to:• Rational Design & Synthesis: Novel pathways for high-entropy alloys, hybrid nanostructures, and transition metal-based catalysts. • Mechanistic Insights & Degradation: Studies on structure-activity relationships, stability, and failure mitigation in harsh operational environments.• Interfacial Engineering: Strategies to optimize surface states, electronic properties, and mass transport kinetics.• System-Level Integration: Translating material performance into scalable designs for electrolyzers, fuel cells, supercapacitors, metal-air batteries, Salinity gradient energy harvesting, and Water desalination.• Emerging Characterization: Advanced in-situ and operando techniques revealing intrinsic material properties and evolutionary dynamics. Topic editors: Md Ahasan Habib, Jagadis Gautam, Bipeen Dahal Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/83990/functional-materials-engineering-for-sustainable-energy-conversion-and-storage