Celebrating a Decade of Excellence and Innovation at Advanced Electronic Materials

Abstract

As we mark the 10th anniversary of Advanced Electronic Materials, it is an ideal moment to pause and reflect on the incredible journey that has shaped this journal into a leading platform for innovation and cutting-edge research in the field of electronic materials. From its humble beginnings in 2015 to its current position as one of the most respected journals in the field, the past decade has been one of extraordinary growth, collaboration, and scientific advancement. In particular, as a platform for publishing significant studies on the design, fabrication, and application of electronic materials in emerging technologies, the journal serves a broad geographical authorship covering a wide spectrum of topics.

When Advanced Electronic Materials was launched ten years ago, the landscape of materials science, especially electronic materials, was rapidly evolving. The innovations in semiconductors, neuromorphic architecture, magnetic materials, flexible electronics, topological and superconducting compounds, and other critical technologies have revolutionized the fields of computing and software development, as well as the fields of bioelectronics and biomedical engineering. Our goal for the journal was clear: to provide a premier platform where the most impactful and pioneering research on advanced materials for applications in electronics could be published and disseminated to drive the next wave of technological advancement.

As we reflect on the journal's journey, it is evident that we have surpassed our initial goals. Launched by a team of qualified and professional editors, along with a well-trusted academic advisory editorial board, the journal Advanced Electronic Materials has been there every step of the way, publishing interdisciplinary research, from collaborative works bridging physics, chemistry, and engineering, to studies examining real-world applications.

More closely, the most cited articles in 10 years include a research article authored by Y. Gogotsi et al.^[1] reporting the fabrication of Field Effect Transistors (FETs) based on monolayer Ti₃C₂T_x flakes exhibiting high field-effect electron mobility, a review article by J. Y. Tsao et al.^[2] on ultrawide bandgap semiconductors and a review article by H. Shi et al.^[3] summarizing approaches for improving the electrical conductivity of one of the most used conducting polymers:PEDOT:PSS (see all listed in Table 1).

We have also seen a marked increase in international collaborations, with authors and readers from around the globe contributing to enlightening the role of advanced materials in solving some of the world's most pressing technological challenges. These studies are often the result of cross-disciplinary teams that have worked together to push the boundaries of what is possible in the realm of electronic materials.

Advanced Electronic Materials has also been instrumental in fostering those collaborations between academia, industry, and government research institutes through the organization and publication of Special Issues (SIs). Figure 1 showcases the covers of some of the most interesting SIs organized on occasion of conferences or launced as topical issues covering a broad spectrum of subjects, guest-edited by the most influential researchers in their respective scientific fields. The list includes the SI on Organic and Hybrid Thermoelectrics^[4], (guest-edited by Ziqi Liang, Lidong Chen, Guillermo C. Bazan), the Special Section^[5] publishing research on devices based on 2D materials (guest-edited by Wenzhong Bao and Han Zhang), the SI on Ferroelectric and Multiferroic Materials^[6] (guest-edited by Jiamian Hu and the Advanced Electronic Materials board member Neil D. Mathur), and the SI organized by Ilia Valov, Tsuyoshi Hasegawa and Dmitri Strukov celebrating the Rainer Waser's 65th anniversary,^[7] pioneer of fundamentals of resistive switching memories. The latest Special Issue on ultrathin electronics^[8] (guest-edited by Virgilio Mattoli and Fabrizio Viola), as well as the 2 SIs organized on occasions of the conferences MEMRISYS 2023^[9] (Memristive Systems, Torino, Italy, 5–9 November 2023) — reporting the best contributions in the field of memristive devices (guest-edited by Carlo Ricciardi, Daniele Ielmini, Fernando Corinto, Sabina Spiga) — and the SI linked to the NOD workshop 2023^[10] (Neuromorphic Organic Devices, Bad Schandau, Germany, 18–20 September 2023)) (guest-edited by Giovanni Ligorio, Francesca Santoro and Hans Kleemann) have been published completely Open Access. Indeed, as the authors in these research fields embrace the principle of Open Science, since January 2023 the journal has switched to the Open Access publishing model: for authors, publishing Open Access also allows the wider use and sharing of articles, which helps the dissemination of research as evidenced by the increase in readership and impact of the journal's articles.

Beyond the Special Issues, the journal has also published Virtual Collections (see Figure 2) to highlight top contributions in several fields. In particular, the “Editor's Choice” collection features articles specifically selected by editors, together with the collections “Best in organic electronics”, and the broad-scope “Excellence in Electronics” featuring top contributions in the respective fields. In addition, the Virtual Issue “Organic Neuromorphic Electronics” — curated and organized by the authors Paschalis Gkoupidenis and Robert Nawrocki — features some of the best original research articles and reviews illustrating the great development of using organic compounds for neuromorphic devices: it is worth to highlight the review by Tae-Woo Lee on organic synaptic transistors^[11] or the original research paper by George Malliaras^[12] reporting neuromorphic behaviours in electrochemical transistors (Figure 2).

Linked to neuromorphic architecture, as the field of electronic materials continues to intersect with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and quantum computing, the journal will remain a key venue for exploring these exciting frontiers. In celebration of the 2024 Nobel Prizes in Physics and Chemistry, the journal is part of a curated collection that includes reviews and research articles that emphasize the integration and application of AI across diverse fields, from chemistry to robotics and automation.

As we look back at the journal's accomplishments, we also look forward with anticipation to the future. One of the defining themes of the past decade has been the growing focus on sustainability within the field of electronics as well. With the global push towards clean energy, electric vehicles, and green technologies, Advanced Electronic Materials, together with other Advanced journals has actively championed research that addresses these challenges. The development of more sustainable technologies, and eco-friendly electronic components has been a central focus of our published works. For example, a recent highlight in Advanced Science News featured the work^[13] of Orlin Velev and Yong Zhu reporting the design and fabrication of printed AgNW/agarose-based circuits that can be simultaneously composted and recycled. Moreover, the July 2024 cover pictured an article by Mitar Simic et al.^[14] showing how food residues can be used for fully-edible and biodegradable substrates, on which it is possible to fabricate functional, fully-edible electronic components.

Aligned with Wiley's policy on fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion, Advanced Electronic Materials is aware of the responsibility and, at the same time, the opportunity to promote diversity within the world of scholarly publishing communities: the journal is therefore committed to ethical practices in publishing, ensuring that all voices, including those of women and other groups that have historically been underrepresented in the field of electronics and more in general a minority in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, are given equal opportunity to be heard. On this note, last February 11th on the occasion of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the journal launched a Special Issue entitled “Women in emerging organic and hybrid electronic materials and interfaces”.

This SI advertised also on the journal homepage (Figure 3) is a joint effort between the journal and Advanced Materials Interfaces, with the collaboration of the guest editors, Francesca Santoro, Thuc-Quyen Nguyen, and Luisa Petti, and has targeted women researchers to submit their work in the field of electronics, materials design, and modelling and interfaces. By dedicating a special issue specifically to women in science, Advanced Electronic Materials takes a proactive step toward ensuring that the research landscape is not disproportionately dominated by male perspectives. In doing so, the journal highlights how gender balance in scientific research contributes to innovation and creativity. This can motivate women to publish their research, contributing to a more balanced and inclusive body of scientific literature in the field of electronics.

The past decade has been an extraordinary journey, and as we celebrate this milestone, we are filled with gratitude for the contributions of so many people. Researchers from around the world, from top universities to cutting-edge technology companies, have turned to Advanced Electronic Materials as a trusted source for the latest advancements in electronic materials science. It is an honour to know that our publication have been integral to the development of many of the innovations that are shaping the world today.

We extend our deepest thanks not only to the authors who have entrusted us with their groundbreaking work but also to the reviewers whose expertise and insights have ensured the quality and integrity of the research we publish, and more generally to the readers who have made Advanced Electronic Materials their go-to source for the latest developments in electronic materials.

The journey that began in 2015 is far from over. As we enter our second decade, we are more committed than ever to advancing the field of electronic materials and providing a platform for the next generation of scientific discoveries. We look forward to the continued growth of the journal, the expansion of its global reach, and the ongoing collaboration with our esteemed editorial board, authors, and readers.

We are excited to see what the next decade holds, and we invite you to join us as we continue to explore new horizons in electronic materials, fostering innovation, and shaping the future of technology.

On behalf of the Advanced Electronic Materials editorial team:

Gaia Tomasello, Christiana Varnava, Soumyajit Hazra and Soumyo Chatterjee