Microfluidic-Assisted Synthesis of Nanomaterials: Precise Control of Size, Surface Chemistry and Molecular Interactions

Dear Colleagues,

Microfluidic devices have emerged as powerful tools for the synthesis and functionalization of nanomaterials, offering precise control over mixing, mass transfer, residence time, and interfacial processes. Compared with conventional batch methods, microfluidic-assisted technology enables reproducible production of nanomaterials with well-defined size, morphology, and surface chemistry while significantly reducing reaction time, reagent consumption, and waste.

Microfluidic platforms are versatile microreactors for the fabrication of nanoparticles, nanocomposites, and hybrid nanostructures, with applications spanning chemical, biological, and materials sciences. Advances in 2D and 3D microfluidic chip designs allow complex flow architectures, controlled gradients, and scalable synthesis strategies.

Driven by the need for precise, scalable, and sustainable nanomanufacturing, microfluidic-assisted synthesis has become a rapidly expanding interdisciplinary research area bridging molecular science, nanotechnology, and materials engineering.

Thus, this Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive platform for showcasing recent advances in microfluidic-assisted synthesis of nanomaterials, with a strong emphasis on how microfluidic approaches enable precise control over material size, structure, surface chemistry, and molecular interactions. Moreover, it seeks to highlight both fundamental and applied studies that demonstrate the advantages of microfluidics in producing high-quality nanomaterials with improved uniformity, reproducibility, and functional performance.

The scope of this Special Issue aligns well with the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, as it addresses molecular-level control, physicochemical interactions, and structure–property relationships in nanomaterials synthesized using microfluidic systems. Contributions that integrate experimental synthesis with computational modeling, advanced physicochemical characterization, and biological evaluation are particularly encouraged.

By bringing together original research articles and critical reviews, this Special Issue aims to foster interdisciplinary dialog and accelerate the development of microfluidic technologies for the design, characterization, and application of next-generation nanomaterials.

Original research articles and reviews are welcome, and research areas may include (but are not limited to) the following:

• Microfluidic synthesis of nanoparticles, nanocomposites, and hybrid nanomaterials;
• Two- and three-dimensional microfluidic chip architectures for controlled nanomaterial fabrication;
• Effects of flow control, mixing, and residence-time on material size and surface chemistry;
• Numerical modeling and simulations of microfluidic synthesis processes;
• Molecular interactions and self-assembly under microfluidic conditions;
• Physicochemical and biological characterization of microfluidically synthesized materials;
• Sustainable, scalable, and reproducible microfluidic nanomanufacturing strategies.

We look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Dr. Adelina-Gabriela Niculescu
Dr. Ariana Hudita
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. International Journal of Molecular Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. There is an Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal. For details about the APC please see here. Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.