Submissions

SECTION A — Earth & Environmental Interfaces

This section publishes research at the interfaces between Earth, environmental, hydrological, geochemical, climatic, and biological systems. Manuscripts may address coupled water–energy processes, hydro–materials interactions, climate–energy feedbacks, and geophysical–biological couplings.

Submissions that span multiple disciplinary domains are evaluated through a modular peer-review process: each disciplinary component (e.g., water resources, climate modelling, materials interaction) is assigned to a specialist reviewer. The handling editor integrates the modular reports to reach a unified editorial decision, ensuring scientific rigor, cross-disciplinary coherence, and innovation at system interfaces.

SECTION B — Energy, Materials & Matter, Prof. Dr. Karolos J. Kontoleon

This section covers research on energy systems, advanced materials, matter–environment interactions, and the physical principles enabling next-generation energy technologies. Topics include solar–thermal–mechanical coupled systems, energy–biology interfaces, quantum materials for water and energy applications, and smart material–environment feedback mechanisms.

Manuscripts spanning multiple disciplines are evaluated using a modular peer-review model, where each disciplinary element (e.g., materials science, thermodynamics, bioenergy) is reviewed by a specialist. The handling editor synthesizes the modular reports to form a unified editorial decision.

SECTION C — Living Systems & Technology

This section publishes research integrating biological systems with engineered devices, materials, and computational technologies. Areas include bio-physical interface systems, bioinformatics–environment interactions, biomedical–energy devices, tissue–material coupling, and nano-bio interactions.

The modular peer-review process is applied for submissions involving multiple domains (e.g., biology + materials + engineering), ensuring expert evaluation of each component and coherence across disciplinary boundaries.

SECTION D — Computation, AI & Complex Systems, Prof. Dr. Pedro Fernández de Córdoba

This section focuses on computational modelling, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and the study of complex coupled systems. Topics include AI-based simulation of coupled physical systems, machine learning with environmental and material datasets, multi-scale modelling, digital twins, and interdisciplinary data fusion.

Modular peer-review is used for manuscripts drawing from multiple computational or scientific subfields, assigning the appropriate expert to each methodological or disciplinary component.

SECTION E — Human, Social & Economic Interfaces

This section addresses socio-technical, socio-environmental, and human-system interactions, including water–energy–food–health systems, climate–migration–economics dynamics, infrastructure–society couplings, governance of coupled systems, and technology–policy interfaces.

The modular peer-review process ensures that each disciplinary dimension (e.g., economics, environmental science, public policy) is evaluated by a qualified specialist, with the handling editor integrating all reviews into a single decision.

SECTION F — Synchrotron & Photon-Matter Interfaces, Prof. Dr. Juan Angel Sans

This section publishes research at the interfaces between synchrotron radiation techniques and scientific domains such as materials science, environmental systems, water processes, energy technologies, cultural heritage, and biomedical applications. Manuscripts may address photon–matter interactions, multiscale structural characterization,  environmental applications of synchrotron techniques, operational or in-situ analyses, and synchrotron-enabled insights into complex natural or engineered systems.

Submissions that span multiple disciplinary domains are evaluated through a modular peer-review process: each disciplinary component (e.g., application of synchrotron in water engineering, X-ray spectroscopy, environmental chemistry, biological imaging, energy materials) is assigned to a specialist reviewer. The handling editor integrates the modular reports to reach a unified editorial decision, ensuring methodological rigor, cross-disciplinary coherence, and innovation at photon–matter interfaces.

SECTION G — Art, Creativity & Scientific Interfaces

This section publishes research at the interfaces between artistic practice, scientific inquiry, technological innovation, and human perception. Manuscripts may address art-based visualization of complex data, material or structural innovation inspired by artistic methods, art–health applications, environmental or ecological art systems, creative human–machine interaction, and conceptual frameworks where artistic and scientific processes mutually inform one another.

Submissions that span multiple disciplinary domains are evaluated through a modular peer-review process: each disciplinary component (e.g., visual design of green roofs, materials characterization, cognitive science, environmental sensing) is assigned to a specialist reviewer. The handling editor synthesizes the modular reports to reach a unified editorial decision, ensuring scientific integrity, creative relevance, and innovation at art–science interfaces.

SECTION H — Science Policy & Science Diplomacy, Prof. Dr. Galileo Violini

This section publishes research at the interfaces between scientific knowledge, public policy, and international relations. It focuses on how science informs policy design, governance frameworks, and decision-making processes, as well as how scientific cooperation and expertise contribute to international dialogue, institutional coordination, and the management of global challenges.

Submissions that span multiple analytical and institutional domains are evaluated through a modular peer-review process: policy, scientific, and diplomatic components are each assessed by specialist reviewers. The handling editor integrates the modular reports to reach a unified editorial decision, ensuring rigor, coherence, and relevance across the science–policy–diplomacy interface.

SECTION I — Nanoscale Interfaces & Functional Nanostructures, Prof. Dr. Victor Manuel Castaño

This section publishes multidisciplinary research focused on interfacial phenomena at the nanoscale, where material behavior, physical laws, and functional properties emerge from interactions across length scales and domains. It addresses nanoscale systems as interfaces between matter, energy, information, and biological or engineered environments, rather than as isolated materials or devices.

Contributions may integrate perspectives from materials science, physics, chemistry, engineering, biology, and applied mathematics, including studies on functional nanostructures, surface-dominated systems, hybrid and composite interfaces, and nano-enabled technologies. Manuscripts that combine experimental, theoretical, computational, and application-oriented components are particularly encouraged, provided that the nanoscale interface plays a central role in the scientific or technological innovation.

Submissions spanning multiple disciplinary dimensions are evaluated through a modular peer-review process, in which each component of the work is assessed by specialists in the relevant domain. The handling editor integrates the modular evaluations to ensure scientific rigor, coherence across disciplines, and relevance to the broader interface-driven perspective of the section.