Energy efficiency and sustainability have become one of the grand challenges faced by the society. With the continued advancement in nanotechnology, numerous innovative nanomaterials, which have external dimensions, internal features, or surface structures at the nanoscale, have emerged as sustainable and efficient energy solutions. The reduced dimension and increased surface-to-volume ratio of nanomaterials render their thermal properties dependent upon many factors that are usually insignificant in bulk materials.

In particular, surfaces, interfaces, and quantum or classical size effects emerge as prominent factors that determine thermal transport in nanomaterials, leading to various carrier scattering, interference, and localization phenomena that are otherwise absent or unobvious in bulk materials. Through this special issue on “Innovative nanomaterials for thermal applications”, we aim to advance the fundamental understanding of thermal transport and energy conversion processes at the nanoscale and facilitate the development of innovative nanomaterials for thermal applications, including but not limited to thermal management, thermal energy storage, thermophotovoltaics, and thermoelectrics.

We cordially invite submissions of original, high-quality research articles as well as review papers to this special issue.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to:

• Thermal properties of low-dimensional materials
• Nano-enabled thermal interface materials, thermal energy storage materials, and thermoelectric materials
• Thermal transport across interfaces, dislocations, and grain boundaries
• Nonlocal, nondiffusive, or nonequilibrium thermal transport in nanomaterials
• Classical or quantum size effects on thermal properties of nanomaterials
• Confinement, localization, or interference of heat carrier in nanostructures
• Energy transport and conversion in nanomaterials under extreme conditions
• Thermal radiative properties of micro-/nanostructures
• Spectral and directional control of thermal radiation using nanostructures