Dear Colleagues,

Photofunctional nanomaterials and nanostructures that can convert and utilize photons in diverse forms have profound meanings, from fundamental understandings to applications. Thus, photofunctional nanomaterials and nanostructures have stimulated trans-disciplinary interests in physics, chemistry, material science, biology, photons, and engineering, and stimulated scientific breakthroughs in photovoltaics, photolithography, photoelectronics, photocatalysis, photobiology and phototherapy, photosynthesis, and optical sensing. Recently, photofunctional materials and photon conversion, with their unique appeal, are attracting an increasing number of researchers to promote the development of this field.

Although there are rapid advancements in photofunctional nanomaterials and nanostructures, there is still plenty of room to further improve their performances by enhancing fundamental knowledge. This Special Issue aims to focus on progress and advances in the design, synthesis, photophysics, photochemistry, and applications of photoluminescent, photothermal, photovoltaic, photocatalytic, and photoresponsive nanomaterials. Research on light–matter interactions, photolithography, laser fabrication, optical metamaterials, nonlinear optics, light-induced structural transformation, and ultrafast carrier dynamics is also included. As such, we welcome contributions that address, but are not limited to, the following themes:

• Design and synthesis of novel photoluminescent, photothermal, photovoltaic, photocatalytic, and photoresponsive nanomaterials;
• Applications of photofunctional nanomaterials in optoelectronics, energy, and biomedicine, such as solar cells, light-emitting diodes, photodetectors, photonic synapses, nano/micro-lasers, photonic integration, optical sensing, bioimaging, biosensing, phototherapy, etc.;
• Fundamental photophysics, photochemistry, and ultrafast carrier dynamics underlying photon conversion and utilization;
• Interactions of photofunctional nanomaterials with metamaterials/photonic crystals/surface plasmonics/optical cavities;
• Laser fabrication of photofunctional nanomaterials and nanostructures.

Dr. Zhixing Gan
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

• photofunctional nanomaterials and nanostructures
• photon conversion
• photoelectronics
• photovoltaic
• photocatalysis
• photoluminescence
• biosensing