Advances in Polymer-Based Materials and Fabrication Processes for Microfluidic Applications II

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "D:Materials and Processing".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 2698

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. CMEMS-UMinho, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Azurém, 4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
2. CF-UM-UP, Centro de Física, Universidade do Minho, Campus de Gualtar, 4710-057 Braga, Portugal
Interests: microfluidics; micro and nanostructured materials; smart and functional materials; biomedicine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
BCMaterials, Basque Center for Materials, Applications and Nanostructures, UPV/EHU Science Park, 48940 Leioa, Spain
Interests: multifunctional materials; smart materials; energy storage; energy harvesting; sensors; actuators
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The microfluidic field is attracting increasing attention and activity in a wide variety of scientific areas, as it provides miniaturized and powerful alternative platforms for conventional analysis techniques. However, despite the initial success of the field and active academic developments, there is a strong need for new concepts, materials, and fabrication processes in order to successfully reach widespread applications. The limitations of microfluidic technologies are mainly related to materials and fabrication processes to develop and implement microfluidic platforms. Thus, the area of microfluidics has a need for novel materials, as an alternative to the commonly used silicon, glass, and polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), as well as innovative and cost-effective fabrication methods. The wide range of polymer properties, their typically low costs, and the development of suitable polymer microfabrication methods, including printing technologies, have attracted increasing interest in this field, as they pave the way for the high-volume production of disposable microfluidic devices with tailored properties and specifications, which allows their further successful commercialization.

This Special Issue aims to highlight the latest advances on the subject, from the development of materials to advanced processing technologies and practical applications of these polymer-based microfluidic platforms. Thus, all manuscripts reporting original research, short communications, state-of-the art reviews, and perspectives on the latest developments in polymer-based materials for microfluidic applications are welcome.

The second edition of this Special Issue is a continuation of the first volume in Polymers. During the paper invitation process for the first volume, we found that many manuscripts were more relevant to microfluidic devices than polymer-based materials, so we initiated this joint Special Issue with the journal Micromachines to attract more papers within this topic.

We look forward to receiving contributions on such interesting topics.

You may choose our Joint Special Issue in Polymers.

Dr. Vanessa F. Cardoso
Dr. Senentxu Lanceros-Mendez
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 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

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. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). 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.

Keywords

  • polymers and polymeric materials
  • composites and nanocomposites
  • smart and functional properties
  • processing and fabrication
  • microfluidic
  • lab-on-a-chip
  • biomedical applications
  • environmental applications
  • technologically relevant applications

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • e-Book format: Special Issues with more than 10 articles can be published as dedicated e-books, ensuring wide and rapid dissemination.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue polices can be found here.

Published Papers (1 paper)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Review

53 pages, 3240 KiB  
Review
Recent Advances in Polymer Science and Fabrication Processes for Enhanced Microfluidic Applications: An Overview
by María F. Alexandre-Franco, Rahmani Kouider, Raúl Kassir Al-Karany, Eduardo M. Cuerda-Correa and Awf Al-Kassir
Micromachines 2024, 15(9), 1137; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi15091137 - 6 Sep 2024
Viewed by 2344
Abstract
This review explores significant advancements in polymer science and fabrication processes that have enhanced the performance and broadened the application scope of microfluidic devices. Microfluidics, essential in biotechnology, medicine, and chemical engineering, relies on precise fluid manipulation in micrometer-sized channels. Recent innovations in [...] Read more.
This review explores significant advancements in polymer science and fabrication processes that have enhanced the performance and broadened the application scope of microfluidic devices. Microfluidics, essential in biotechnology, medicine, and chemical engineering, relies on precise fluid manipulation in micrometer-sized channels. Recent innovations in polymer materials, such as flexible, biocompatible, and structurally robust polymers, have been pivotal in developing advanced microfluidic systems. Techniques like replica molding, microcontact printing, solvent-assisted molding, injection molding, and 3D printing are examined, highlighting their advantages and recent developments. Additionally, the review discusses the diverse applications of polymer-based microfluidic devices in biomedical diagnostics, drug delivery, organ-on-chip models, environmental monitoring, and industrial processes. This paper also addresses future challenges, including enhancing chemical resistance, achieving multifunctionality, ensuring biocompatibility, and scaling up production. By overcoming these challenges, the potential for widespread adoption and impactful use of polymer-based microfluidic technologies can be realized. Full article
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop