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Microfluidics and lab-on-a-chip have, in recent years, come to the forefront in diagnostics and detection. At point-of-care, in the emergency room, and at the hospital bed or GP clinic, lab-on-a-chip offers the potential to rapidly detect time-critical and life-threatening diseases such as sepsis and bacterial meningitis. Furthermore, portable and user-friendly diagnostic platforms can enable disease diagnostics and detection in resource-poor settings where centralised laboratory facilities may not be available. At point-of-use, microfluidics and lab-on-chip can be applied in the field to rapidly identify plant pathogens, thus reducing the need for damaging broad spectrum pesticides while also reducing food losses. Microfluidics can also be applied to the continuous monitoring of water quality and can support policy-makers and protection agencies in protecting the environment. Perhaps most excitingly, microfluidics also offers the potential to enable entirely new diagnostic tests that cannot be implemented using conventional laboratory tools. Examples of microfluidics at the frontier of new medical diagnostic tests include early detection of cancers through circulating tumour cells (CTCs) and highly sensitive genetic tests using droplet-based digital PCR.This Special Issue on “Advances in Microfluidics Technology for Diagnostics and Detection” aims to gather outstanding research and to carry out comprehensive coverage of all aspects related to microfluidics in diagnostics and detection.

biosensors --- LoaD platforms --- microfluidics --- centrifugal microfluidics --- PoC devices --- SARS-CoV-2 --- COVID-19 --- nano-qPCR --- ultra-sensitive --- viral RNA --- viral load --- detection --- LabDisk --- vector-borne diseases --- malaria --- arboviruses --- insecticide resistances --- mosquito monitoring --- SAW --- Pirani --- compact --- wireless --- vacuum --- sensing --- digital droplet polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) --- multiplexing --- centrifugal step emulsification --- droplet stability --- droplet fluorescence evaluation --- nanoparticle --- lipoplex --- polyplex --- raspberry pi --- siRNA --- python --- n/a

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Droplet microfluidics has dramatically developed in the past decade and has been established as a microfluidic technology that can translate into commercial products. Its rapid development and adoption have relied not only on an efficient stabilizing system (oil and surfactant), but also on a library of modules that can manipulate droplets at a high-throughput. Droplet microfluidics is a vibrant field that keeps evolving, with advances that span technology development and applications. Recent examples include innovative methods to generate droplets, to perform single-cell encapsulation, magnetic extraction, or sorting at an even higher throughput. The trend consists of improving parameters such as robustness, throughput, or ease of use. These developments rely on a firm understanding of the physics and chemistry involved in hydrodynamic flow at a small scale. Finally, droplet microfluidics has played a pivotal role in biological applications, such as single-cell genomics or high-throughput microbial screening, and chemical applications. This Special Issue will showcase all aspects of the exciting field of droplet microfluidics, including, but not limited to, technology development, applications, and open-source systems.

Technology: general issues --- FADS --- emulsification --- droplet coalescence --- enzyme engineering --- synthetic biology --- droplet formation --- phase field model --- interfacial tension --- glass capillary microfluidic device --- fluidic mixer --- air bubble --- 3D printing --- microcapsules --- double-emulsion drops --- osmotic pressure --- ultra-thin-shell --- microfluidics --- droplet array --- microvalve --- droplets --- lock-in detection --- real-time calibration --- homogeneous immunoassay --- on-chip mergers --- pneumatic valves --- programmable droplet formation --- dilutions --- Microfluidics --- drug combinations --- screening --- droplet microfluidics --- sorting --- passive sorting --- photo-tag --- n/a

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Droplet microfluidics has dramatically developed in the past decade and has been established as a microfluidic technology that can translate into commercial products. Its rapid development and adoption have relied not only on an efficient stabilizing system (oil and surfactant), but also on a library of modules that can manipulate droplets at a high-throughput. Droplet microfluidics is a vibrant field that keeps evolving, with advances that span technology development and applications. Recent examples include innovative methods to generate droplets, to perform single-cell encapsulation, magnetic extraction, or sorting at an even higher throughput. The trend consists of improving parameters such as robustness, throughput, or ease of use. These developments rely on a firm understanding of the physics and chemistry involved in hydrodynamic flow at a small scale. Finally, droplet microfluidics has played a pivotal role in biological applications, such as single-cell genomics or high-throughput microbial screening, and chemical applications. This Special Issue will showcase all aspects of the exciting field of droplet microfluidics, including, but not limited to, technology development, applications, and open-source systems.

Technology: general issues --- FADS --- emulsification --- droplet coalescence --- enzyme engineering --- synthetic biology --- droplet formation --- phase field model --- interfacial tension --- glass capillary microfluidic device --- fluidic mixer --- air bubble --- 3D printing --- microcapsules --- double-emulsion drops --- osmotic pressure --- ultra-thin-shell --- microfluidics --- droplet array --- microvalve --- droplets --- lock-in detection --- real-time calibration --- homogeneous immunoassay --- on-chip mergers --- pneumatic valves --- programmable droplet formation --- dilutions --- Microfluidics --- drug combinations --- screening --- droplet microfluidics --- sorting --- passive sorting --- photo-tag

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Block copolymers with crystallizable blocks have moved into the focus of current research, owing to their unique self-assembly behaviour and properties. New synthetic concepts give, for example, even access to tetrablock copolymers with four crystalline blocks, bio-based thermoplastic elastomers (e.g., based on ABA triblock copolymers with poly(L-lactide) (PLLA) hard segments), and allow new, exciting insights into the interplay of microphase separation and crystallization in controlling self-assembly in bulk (confined vs. break-out crystalliza­tion).Concerning self-assembly in solution, crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) paved the way to a myriad of crystalline-core micellar structures and hierarchical super­structures that were not accessible before via self-assembly of fully amorphous block copolymers. This allows for the production of cylindrical micelles with defined lengths, length distribution, and corona chemistries (block type or patchy corona), as well as branched micelles and fascinating micellar superstructures (e.g., 2D lenticular platelets, scarf-shaped micelles, multidimensional micellar assemblies, and cross and “windmill”-like supermicelles).This Special Issue brings together new developments in the synthesis and self-assembly of block copolymers with crystallizable blocks and also addresses emerging applications for these exciting materials. It includes two reviews on CDSA and eight contributions spanning from membranes for gas separation to self-assembly in bulk and solution.

crystallization-driven self-assembly (CDSA) --- crystalline-core micelles --- patchy micelles --- block copolymers --- crystal morphologies --- polymer crystallization --- nucleation mechanism --- scaling relations --- crystallization-driven self-assembly --- calcium alginate hydrogel --- cylindrical micelles --- poly(vinylidene fluoride)/polymethylene --- blends --- diblock copolymers --- ferroelectric phase --- semicrystalline block copolymers --- phase separation and crystallization --- epitaxial crystallization --- nanostructures --- kinetics --- fragmentation --- growth --- polypeptoids --- crystallization --- solution self-assembly --- triblock terpolymers --- polyethylene (PE) --- poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) --- poly(ɛ-caprolactone) (PCL) --- tricrystalline spherulites --- copolymer --- membrane --- hydrocarbon --- cohesive energy density --- gas separation --- semicrystalline polymer --- 3D confinement --- ABC triblock terpolymers --- degradation --- emulsification --- microparticles --- n/a

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The development of civilization entails a growing demand for consumer goods. A side effect of the production and use of these materials is the production of solid waste and wastewater. Municipal and industrial wastewater usually contains a large amount of various organic compounds and is the main source of pollution of the aquatic environment. Therefore, the search for effective methods of wastewater and other polluted water treatment is an important element of caring for the natural environment. This book presents research on the determination and removal of environmentally hazardous organic compounds from aqueous samples. The articles included in this book describe the results of examinations, at the laboratory scale, of the efficiency of chemical as well as physical processes for the removal or degradation of selected model pollutants. Environmental studies, especially those concerning the determination of trace impurities, require effective isolation and concentration procedures. The methods used for this purpose should meet the requirements of green chemistry. The liquid phase microextraction procedures and use of electrochemical methods described in this book seem to be proper for environmental studies, as they are effective and environmentally friendly.

photodegradation --- emerging organic contaminants --- salicylic acid --- biosorption --- doxazosin maleate --- boron-doped diamond electrode --- sulfasalazine --- continuous liquid–liquid extraction --- water environment --- electrochemical degradation --- chlorinated intermediates --- isotherm adsorption models --- water --- pollutants --- sediment --- ultrasound-assisted emulsification microextraction --- emerging contaminants --- electrochemical oxidation --- selective sorbent --- water remediation --- HPLC-UV --- sulfate radical --- boron doped diamond --- nickel aluminate --- advanced oxidation processes --- chemical oxygen demand --- hormones --- liquid-liquid continuous extraction --- organic pollutant --- run-off water --- DFT study --- biocides --- DLLME-SFO --- precious metals --- budesonide --- solidification of floating organic droplet --- flame retardants --- wastewater purification --- graphene quantum dots --- PBDE --- disinfection by-products --- 1-undecanol --- photocatalysis --- total petroleum hydrocarbon --- gas chromatography-mass spectrometry --- EOCs determination --- environmental samples --- groundwater --- fractional distillation --- spinel --- hydroxyl radical --- removal of organic compounds --- Guarani aquifer --- density functional theory --- persistent organic pollutants --- hydroxyl radicals