The JSST Editors are proud to present the latest series of papers accepted as part of the journal’s ongoing TOPICAL COLLECTIONS initiative. The TOPICAL COLLECTIONS are an evolving series of papers in thematic domains selected by JSST’s Editors, which explore the diversity of sol-gel science and technology. In this issue, we present papers accepted for inclusion as part of the following themes:

  • Hybrid Materials – 11 papers

  • Nanohybrids and Nanocomposite Materials – 4 papers

  • ISGS eSeminar series – 1 paper

  • 2021 ISGS Thesis Award – 1 paper

The latter two collections are part of JSST’s joint initiatives with the International Sol-Gel Society:

  • The eSeminar series was launched by the ISGS in March 2021. Each month, a prominent member of the sol-gel community is invited by the ISGS to deliver an eSeminar to an online international audience distributed across multiple time zones, with the presentation and question time being recorded and disseminated via the ISGS’ website. The presenters are also invited to contribute a paper to JSST as part of this initiative.

  • The ISGS Thesis Award is awarded annually to the PhD student who has produced the best thesis and made the most outstanding contribution to sol-gel science and/or technology. The awardee is invited to contribute a paper to JSST as part of the award, to celebrate and disseminate the work of our emerging scientists who represent the future leadership of the sol-gel community. The annual call for nominations for the ISGS Thesis Award typically occurs towards the end of each calendar year, and we urge you to nominate your students for this important recognition.

As part of this ongoing initiative, we recently launched several new TOPICAL COLLECTIONS themes, with leading sol-gel practitioners invited to contribute their work. These include Sol-Gel Materials for Bio-Encapsulation and Bio-Delivery; Photocatalytic Materials by Sol-Gel Processing; and Ferrite Materials Obtained by Sol-Gel.

We hope that you will enjoy reading the latest TOPICAL COLLECTIONS papers and as always, we welcome any comments and suggestions you might have.