Introducing BMC Materials

The latest new BMC Series journal, BMC Materials, opened for submissions on 22nd January 2019. This joins our other new journals, BMC Biomedical Engineering, BMC Chemical Engineering, BMC Energy, BMC Mechanical Engineering and BMC Chemistry, which mark the BMC Series’ expansion into the physical sciences and engineering. Editor Dr Harriet Manning and Chair of the Editorial Advisory Board Professor Rodrigo Martins discuss this latest launch.

In recent years, science and technology have revolutionized our way of life, improving well-being and comfort for all mankind. The discovery of new materials with unique features at the macro- and nano-scales has played a significant part in this advancement.

The possibility of producing materials able to perform different functions and respond to external stimuli will undoubtedly be an extremely important research area for the foreseeable future. These new materials will play a crucial role, for example in additive manufacturing, since they will be designed and structured to perform specific operations and adapt autonomously to external conditions and variables, without the need for additional devices. These so-called ‘intelligent’ materials meet application demands of multi-functionality and adaptability, dramatically reducing the complexity of systems and making solutions simpler to implement. This consequently renders materials the enabler for many expected developments, promoting creativity and innovation across many different fields.

These advancements aroused the interest of BMC in the relevance of materials as a promoter of science and technology with a strong impact on our lives. Due to these many demands for new and better materials, fundamental and applied research output in this field is growing rapidly.

Therefore, at the Materials Research Society Fall Meeting in December 2018, Springer Nature was pleased to announce plans for the next new BMC Series journal to launch, and BMC Materials is now open for submissions!

The scope of BMC Materials is broad, covering topical subjects such as advances in energy storage materials, low-cost building materials, multifunctional coatings for structural applications in aircraft and electronic and quantum materials for next generation computing. The research carried out by materials scientists underpins so many vital technological advances and BMC Materials wants to make this research available for all to read.

Further to this, open access materials science publishing has grown rapidly over the past 5 years and BMC Materials aims to meet the needs of this thriving community. It will provide an inclusive venue for scientifically valid research within all areas of materials science to ensure wide and rapid dissemination of the latest research. As part of the BMC Series, BMC Materials employs the same values of openness and inclusivity as the other BMC Series journals, whilst ensuring rigorous and efficient peer review.

Led by a highly experienced, international editorial board, BMC Materials will be divided into six sections that cover the breadth of the materials science field as follows:

  • Structural materials
  • Functional materials
  • Energy materials
  • Biological and biomedical materials
  • Polymeric materials
  • Materials for interfaces and films

Each section will be led by an expert Section Editor and supported by our international editorial board. In addition, our Editorial Advisory board, chaired by Professor Rodrigo Martins, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, will provide strategic advice and guidance on the development of the journal.

“It was with great enthusiasm that I joined this initiative to create an open access journal able to answer, with strong responsibility translated by a board of editors of high standard and strong research experience, the challenges of multidisciplinarity in which materials are the key element. The structure and objectives of the journal are therefore a response to the needs felt by a vast scientific community that has been waiting for such ability to allow all of us access to the newest studies, discoveries and innovative applications, as demanded by the challenges of the future.” Prof. Rodrigo Martins

You can find out more about this newest journal on the homepage, and please direct any submission queries to Editor Harriet Manning (harriet.manning@springernature.com). You can also find us at the ACS Spring Meeting and E-MRS Spring Meeting, where we’d be happy to discuss more with you. We look forward to receiving you submission!

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