Veruscript Functional Nanomaterials: A new resource for the community

Nanomaterials have shot to household fame after the discovery of the “wonder” material graphene, which caught the attention of the world’s media. However, nanomaterials have been impacting the world for years, from improving batteries to touchscreens, nanomaterials have transformed our technology and society. The impact of nanomaterials will only increase as we research the many functionalities of current materials, and develop new materials to be exploited. The potential applications for nanomaterials are almost endless, including using metals, polymers and ceramics to make structures smaller, lighter and stronger for specific applications such as bulletproof vests, water purification and increased energy efficiency. One reason for the launch of this journal, Veruscript Functional Nanomaterials, is to give a home to the multidisciplinary research that examines the functionality of nanomaterials and their possible applications. The study of functional nanomaterials has flourished in the last few years, and research in the subject is increasing in impact and reach, both in academia and industry. The more accessible this research is the greater reach it will have into real world applications. The growth of articles covering the functionality of nanomaterials is shown in the Figure 1. Current publication models are not fit for purpose, for the community and the research that is being published. This huge amount of research is being published in a large number of journals that cover a variety of subject categories. Many are published in journals specifically catering to one subject area, such as materials chemistry, applied physics, mechanical engineering or materials science, meaning relevant articles do not come to the attention of researchers in the other fields. To further exacerbate this, the majority of these articles are published in closed access journals, meaning researchers in industry or business often cannot access them, or benefit from the discoveries made.