Heat is the oldest and most ubiquitous form of energy in the universe: from the nuclear fusion of stars to the metabolism of living organisms, and from the steam engines to the heat dissipation of microchips. The transfer, conversion, and regulation of heat have run through the course of natural evolution and the footprint of human civilization^[1-3]. Thermodynamics has laid the cornerstone of modern industry^[4-7]. From Fourier’s heat conduction equation^[8,9] to Planck’s law of black-body radiation^[10], exploration of “heat” has always driven the deepening of scientific understanding and the progress of civilization^[11,12].

In today’s era of rapid technological development, thermal science has been integrated into cutting-edge fields such as quantum technology^[13-15], artificial intelligence (AI)^[16,17], intelligent materials^[18-20], and life sciences^[21,22] with unprecedented depth and breadth, demonstrating strong interdisciplinary and transformative characteristics^[23,24] (Figure 1).​

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Figure 1. Interdisciplinary and transformative feature of Thermal Science^[25-32].

It is at this right moment, Thermo-X emerges!​

The “X” in Thermo-X represents eXploration (the unknowns), interdisciplinarity (cross-disciplinarity), eXtremes (limits), and eXponential potential (infinite possibilities); it also symbolizes a bridge connecting different disciplines, ideas, and the future. Our original intention in founding Thermo-X is to create a truly interdisciplinary academic platform that brings together wisdom from diverse fields—including but not limited to physics, mathematics, chemistry, materials science, engineering, information science, biology, psychology, and even philosophy—to jointly explore the in-depth laws and cutting-edge applications of heat.

Thermo-X will extensively publish Research Article, Review, Colloquia, Technical Brief, Discussion, Short Communication, Perspective, Editorials, and thematic Perspectives related to heat. We focus on the fundamental laws of heat at both classical and quantum worlds, and encourage in-depth discussions on heat conduction, heat convection, thermal radiation, thermodynamic processes, and their non-equilibrium behaviors. Whether it is the development of intelligent thermal materials and devices, heat conversion and storage, thermal management of micro-nano electronic devices and even quantum chips, the design of intelligent thermal management solutions, or the thermal regulation mechanisms in living organisms and thermal protection technologies in extreme environments—all insightful contributions that advance thermal science will find a resonant home in Thermo-X. We also actively advocate the use of emerging technologies such as high-performance computing, machine learning, and AI to promote paradigm shifts and intelligent development in thermal science.​

We firmly believe that major scientific breakthroughs often emerge at the intersection of disciplines. Therefore, Thermo-X is not only a carrier of knowledge but also a melting pot of ideas. We encourage critical thinking, advocate openness and sharing, and are committed to fostering an inclusive, rigorous, and creative academic ecosystem. We look forward to researchers from around the world exchanging ideas, sparking innovations, and working together here to solve key thermal science and engineering issues related to energy, the environment, health, and sustainable development.​

The academic quality and development direction of this journal cannot be separated from an international, high-level editorial board. Our board consists of more than 50 outstanding scholars from over ten countries worldwide, who are leading figures in fields such as thermal physics, materials sciences, micro-nano scale heat transfer, quantum thermodynamics, AI-aided design, thermal energy system engineering, and chips and integrated circuits. They have not only achieved remarkable accomplishments in their respective fields but also possess great enthusiasm for interdisciplinary integration.

The editorial board will strictly control the academic quality of manuscripts, actively plan cutting-edge themes, and promote in-depth interaction between the journal and the global academic community. We are convinced that under the leadership of this team with both academic depth and strategic vision, Thermo-X will steadily move toward becoming a leading journal in thermal sciences and engineering.

Moreover, this journal advocates the active participation of women scientists in our scientific communication efforts; therefore, we have invited a number of well-known women scientists who are active on the frontlines to join our editorial board. We hope that their participation will inspire more women to engage in the exploration of thermal knowledge and technologies, and to publish their research results in Thermo-X. Our world is not sustainable without the participation of women!

Looking to the future, we foresee that thermal science will move toward an era of greater intelligence, miniaturization, and systematization:​

At the frontier of basic research, we will delve into the quantum scale, explore the in-depth connections between heat, information, time, and gravity, and uncover the mysteries of non-equilibrium thermodynamics and quantum heat engines.

In engineering applications, intelligent thermal materials will perceive the environment and respond autonomously like living organisms, enabling adaptive thermal management of buildings, transportation, and electronic devices.

In terms of methodology, AI will accelerate the “inverse design” of thermal materials and real-time optimization of thermal systems, driving a paradigm shift in thermal science research.

In addressing global challenges, efficient thermal management and advanced heat conversion technologies will become core pillars for achieving carbon neutrality, combating climate change, and improving energy utilization efficiency. Thermo-X is willing to be a witness, participant, and driver of this great process. We not only record current discoveries but also commit to inspiring future visions—perhaps the next paradigm shift in thermal science will originate from a paper published in this journal.​

Whether you are a scientist dedicated to basic research, an engineer striving for technological breakthroughs, a young scholar exploring new materials, or a student curious about thermal phenomena, we sincerely welcome you to become a reader and ideological companion of Thermo-X. With Thermo-X, you will:

Access cutting-edge knowledge—grasp the latest progress in thermal science in real time;​

Gain inspiration—draw innovative ideas from interdisciplinary research;​

Expand your horizons—break through professional boundaries and understand the role of heat in a broader view;​

Participate in dialogue—jointly shape the future of thermal science through critical comments, discussions, and exchanges.​

We believe that every reading is a tribute to knowledge; every thought is an exploration of the unknown. Let us join hands to capture the sparks of ideas in the flow of heat, and jointly write a new chapter in thermal science amid the infinite possibilities of “X”.

Today, Thermo-X sets sail. We are well aware that the life of an outstanding academic journal lies in the wisdom and trust of scholars. We sincerely invite global colleagues in the field of thermal science and engineering to entrust your most profound, cutting-edge, and inspiring research results to this new academic platform.​

Let us jointly witness how the encounter between “heat” and “X” will ignite the next leap in science and technology.

In this inaugural issue, we have 5 high quality papers crossing several fields, which reflect precisely the feature of our Thermo-X.

Intelligent thermal materials: Professor Wei Feng’s group^[33] from Tianjin University contribute a beautiful work on a thermochromic smart materials for balancing indoor daylight comfort and energy regulation.

Machine learning and thermal property: Professor Jianhua Jiang’s group^[34] from University of Science and Technology of China contribute an article on Machine learning aided study of thermal conductivity of nitrohalide double antiperovskites.

Nanoscale heat transfer: Professor Xinwei Wang et al.^[35] from Iowa State University give a brief review of the transient electro-thermal technique for measuring the thermal diffusivity/conductivity of 1D/2D materials in microscopic scale from mm to nanometer.

Solid state cooling: Professor Xiaoshi Qian’s group^[36] from Shanghai Jiaotong University provides a timely updates of the research on High-performance electrocaloric cooling devices for efficient and compact solid-state refrigeration.

Thermal energy storage: Professor Yu Qiu and his collaborator^[37] reports Anisotropic Conductive Phase Change Composites Enabled by Parallel Expanded Graphite Sheets for Solar-Thermal Energy Storage.

Enjoy your reading and looking forward to receiving your contributions!

Authors contribution

The author contributed solely to the article.

Conflicts of interest

Baowen Li is the Editor-in-Chief of Thermo-X. No other conflicts of interest to declare.

Ethical approval

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Availability of data and materials

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Funding

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Copyright

© The Author(s) 2025.