Topic: Design, Preparation and Applications of Advanced Structural Materials

The relentless pursuit of enhanced performance and sustainability in aerospace, transportation, energy, and infrastructure sectors has driven a paradigm shift in the development of advanced structural materials. Traditional alloy design and processing routes are increasingly being supplanted or augmented by novel strategies that leverage hierarchical microstructural control, metastable phase engineering, and multi-scale architecture. These modern approaches provide unprecedented opportunities to break through long-standing trade-offs in structural materials—such as the inverse relationship between strength and ductility, or the balance between density and high-temperature capability. From lightweight magnesium and aluminum alloys with tailored precipitation sequences to ultra-high temperature ceramics and refractory complex concentrated alloys, the field is witnessing remarkable progress in achieving superior specific strength, exceptional damage tolerance, and reliable service performance under extreme conditions.

This Special Issue aims to highlight recent breakthroughs and comprehensive insights into the entire lifecycle of advanced structural materials, encompassing rational design, innovative preparation techniques, and targeted applications. We invite contributions that explore the fundamental relationships between processing pathways, resultant microstructural features, and macroscopic mechanical or functional properties. Topics of particular interest include, but are not limited to: novel alloy development guided by computational thermodynamics and kinetics/machine learning/artificial intelligence; advanced processing methods such as additive manufacturing, severe plastic deformation, and spark plasma sintering; in-situ and ex-situ characterization of deformation and damage mechanisms; and the development of robust structure-property predictive models. We also strongly encourage studies that address the scalability of synthesis methods and the long-term stability of materials in relevant service environments, such as high-temperature oxidation, irradiation, or marine corrosion.

By curating a collection of interdisciplinary research spanning experimental synthesis, state-of-the-art characterization, and physics-based modeling, this Special Issue seeks to provide a comprehensive snapshot of the current state and future trajectory of structural materials science. We hope this compilation will not only deepen the understanding of microstructure evolution under complex thermomechanical fields but also serve as a practical guide for accelerating the deployment of next-generation structural materials. The scope covers a diverse array of material forms and classes, including advanced metallic alloys (lightweight, high-entropy, and superalloys), engineering ceramics and their composites, high-performance polymers, and bio-inspired structural systems, in forms ranging from bulk components to tailored coatings and complex cellular lattices.

Advanced structural materials, microstructure-property relationship, lightweight alloys, additive manufacturing, high-temperature performance, computational materials design, machine learning, AI-driven materials design, ceramic matrix composites, extreme environment applications