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The State Key Laboratory of Quantum Functional Materials was approved for establishment by the Ministry of Science and Technology in 2024. It is led by the Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) and co-built with ShanghaiTech University, integrating the strong disciplines and outstanding research teams of both universities. The laboratory leverages complementary large scientific facilities including X-ray free-electron lasers, synchrotron radiation light sources and materials genome platforms hosted at the two institutions. Targeting major national strategic requirements for quantum science and technology, the laboratory carries out applied basic research. Its core research directions cover the intelligent inverse design of quantum functional materials, atomic-level precise material synthesis and manipulation, and full-degree-of-freedom ultra-high-resolution characterization enabled by large scientific installations. The laboratory strives to uncover novel quantum phenomena and physical mechanisms, and promotes the practical deployment of quantum functional materials in information and energy fields. Adopting the model of organized research, the laboratory has produced a series of high-impact original achievements published in top journals such as Nature. The laboratory actively fosters interdisciplinary academic exchanges and open collaborative research worldwide, and welcomes global scholars to carry out joint research through its open research fund program.

South China University of Technology (SCUT) is a national key university directly under the Ministry of Education, located in Guangzhou. It consists of three campuses: Wushan Campus, University Town Campus and Guangzhou International Campus, and is a recipient of the first batch of the National Civilized Campus honor. Boasting a long-standing educational heritage, SCUT can trace its origin back to the Guangdong Provincial No.1 Industrial School of Grade A founded in 1918, widely known as the “Red Industrial School”. The university was formally established in 1952 during the nationwide restructuring of higher education institutions, as one of the “Four Major Institutes of Technology” in New China. It was designated a national key university in 1960. In 1981, with the approval of the State Council, SCUT became one of China’s first institutions authorized to confer doctoral and master’s degrees. In 1993, it pioneered the joint construction model by the central ministry and provincial government among Chinese universities. It joined the Project 211 in 1995 and Project 985 in 2001. In 2017, SCUT was selected as a Class A university in the Double First-Class Initiative. In 2023, it ranked among the world’s top 150 universities in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU) released by ShanghaiRanking.

Fudan University was established in 1905 as Fudan Public School. It was the first institution of higher education to be founded by a Chinese person. The two characters, fù (“return”) and dàn (“dawn”) were borrowed from A Commentary on The Classic of History （《尚书大传·虞夏传》）, of which the part on the Yu and the Xia dynasties mentions: “Brilliant are the sunshine and moonlight, again the morning radiance returns at dawn.” In 1917, the institution was renamed Fudan University, which has been kept ever since.

The Dongguan Institute of Materials Science and Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences was jointly established on January 20, 2025 by the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the People’s Government of Guangdong Province and the People’s Government of Dongguan. It is located in the Pilot Start-up Area of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area Comprehensive National Science Center (Songshan Lake Science City). Led by Academician Weihua Wang, the Institute is developed with three strategic focuses: world frontiers in new materials science, major industrial demands, and transformation of research and development paradigms. Its mission is to address cutting-edge fundamental scientific challenges and key application bottlenecks in the field of new materials, and to foster the development of new-quality productive forces. Its goal is to advance a new research paradigm in materials science and technology and boost the innovation of next-generation new materials technologies. Relying on national major science and technology infrastructures, it conducts research on generic basic technologies and applied technology R&D for strategically critical core materials in urgent national demand, so as to fully integrate the innovation chain with the industrial chain. Meanwhile, the Institute will gather high-caliber talent teams and high-level research platforms in materials science. It aims to generate a batch of pivotal core technologies and evolve into a leading research institute for new materials in China, a source of original innovation, a hub for industrial technology diffusion, and a highland for national innovative talents.

AI Materials (ISSN 3042-6715) is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal dedicated to advancing the interdisciplinary frontier of applications between artificial intelligence (AI) and materials science. It publishes reviews, regular research papers (articles), and short communications, but other article types will also be considered. We aim to establish a platform for disseminating high-impact outcomes on the integration of AI methodologies with materials science, with key focus areas including AI-driven material screening, predictive property optimization, autonomous experimental systems, and large language models.

Entropic and Disordered Matter (ISSN 3042-7592) is an international, peer-viewed, open access journal publishing high-quality reviews, original research articles, and communications. The journal covers all research and development related to any materials with chaotic structures and compositions. There is no restriction on the maximum length of the papers, and the scientific community is encouraged to submit the details of both their experimental and theoretical results of any length to ensure high reproducibility.

Materials (ISSN 1996-1944) is an open access journal publishing spotlights, reviews, original research contributions, and short communications. The scientific community is encouraged to submit the details of both their experimental and theoretical results of any length to Materials. There is no restriction on the maximum length of the papers. With the aim of creating a hub for those members of our scientific community seeking for a well-balanced journal, Materials dedicates a special place for publishing spotlights and reviews.

Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352) is an open access journal that covers all aspects of crystalline material research in different sections: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/crystals/sections. Crystals provides a forum for the advancement of our understanding of the nucleation, growth, processing, and characterization of crystalline and liquid crystalline materials. Their mechanical, chemical, electronic, magnetic, and optical properties, and their diverse applications, are all considered to be of importance. Additionally, we encourage contributors to send articles focused on crystals research (of small and high molecular weight). Their characterization by using modern techniques for crystal growth and high resolution characterization such as synchrotron radiation and modern methods for the growth of crystals for X-ray free electron lasers (XFELS) would also be welcome.

Membranes (ISSN 2077-0375) is an international, peer-reviewed, open access journal. The journal covers broad science- and technology-related aspects of both biological and non-biological membranes. Membranes provides a forum for publishing papers that advance our understanding of membrane structure, performance, processes, and applications that cover membrane chemistry, physics, engineering, and biology. The journal publishes original reviews, research articles, and short communications. Authors are encouraged to publish their experimental and theoretical results in as much detail as possible. Thus, there is no restriction on the maximum length. Full experimental, theoretical, and computational details must be provided so that the results can be reproduced.

Metals (ISSN 2075-4701) is an open access journal of related scientific research and technology development. It publishes reviews, regular research papers (articles) and short communications. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish their experimental and theoretical results in as much detail as possible. Therefore, there is no restriction on the maximum length of the papers. The full experimental details must be provided so that the results can be reproduced.

Nanomaterials (ISSN 2079-4991) is an international, peer-reviewed, interdisciplinary scholarly open access journal, published semimonthly online by MDPI. It publishes reviews, regular research papers, communications, and short notes that are relevant to any field of study that involves nanomaterials, with respect to their science and application. Thus, theoretical and experimental articles will be accepted, along with articles that deal with the synthesis and use of nanomaterials. Articles that synthesize information from multiple fields, and which place discoveries within a broader context, will be preferred. There is no restriction on the maximum length of the papers. Our aim is to encourage scientists to publish their experimental and theoretical research in as much detail as possible. Full experimental or methodical details, or both, must be provided for research articles. Computed data or files regarding the full details of the experimental procedure, if unable to be published in a normal way, can be deposited as supplementary material.