This Special Issue is result of a call for papers of the Section Industrial Crystallization of MDPI’s scientific journal Crystals. It addresses scientists and engineers active in research and process & product development in life-science industries (e.g. pharmaceuticals, fine chemicals and biotechnology products) and bulk chemical applications (e.g. desalination) as well. The contributions comprise several fundamental and application-oriented facets of crystallization providing an overview of industrially relevant subjects in the field. Main issues cover phase equilibria and solid-state behavior of crystalline compounds, crystal shape and size and related measurement techniques. Melt and solution crystallization are considered specifically addressing contemporary aspects of continuous crystallization and process intensification.

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Phytotherapy is probably the oldest form of medicine; however, it represents a new therapeutic tool for healthcare workers. Indeed plants are an infinite source of novel molecules, with countless possible combinations. This collection of articles (a Special Issue from Molecules) brings together the most up-to-date studies on the use of plant-derived compounds, ranging from their anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects to the revision of the prominent literature.

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Our environment has been severely affected by the intensive production and use of plastics derived from fossil fuels and their uncontrolled end-of-life disposal. The return to using natural products is a characteristic of the most recent decades, and nanocellulose occupies a privileged position among these intensively studied products. Nanocellulose is obtained from cellulose, which is the most abundant natural polymer, by applying different chemical, mechanical, enzymatic and, most often, combined methods. A huge effort has been invested in the application of nanocellulose as a modifier or reinforcing agent in polymer nanocomposites. This Special Issue brings together twelve original articles and studies that contribute to our understanding of the fundamental and technological knowledge of cellulose–polymer nanocomposites. The isolation of nanocellulose from cheap sources and, especially, from agro-food industry waste is an important step to be implemented for cost reduction and environmental protection. An appropriate surface treatment of nanocellulose is a key element for achieving a good interfacial adhesion and superior properties in polymer nanocomposites. The use of more appropriate and green solvent systems for cellulose, the use of biobased plasticizers and toughening agents in nanocellulose nanocomposites, and the use of molecular dynamics simulations for the prediction of the compatibility of cellulose blends are valuable methods for expanding the application of nanocellulose.

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As an important unit operation, crystallization is a process in which nucleation, growth, agglomeration, and breakage are regulated to produce high-quality crystals and achieve efficient separation as well as purification. Since a crystallization process often presents the characteristics of strong coupling, nonlinearity, and large lagging, it is a challenge to rationally design a robust, well-characterized process to efficiently crystallize and prepare a high-quality crystalline product. The development of process analytical technology that can provide fast and accurate inline or online measurement is of great importance in the design and control of crystallization processes. Simulation technology, e.g., molecular dynamics simulation and hydrodynamics simulation, can provide time- or location-dependent insight into the process on multiple scales. These experimental and simulation tools can greatly help to further investigate crystallization processes. This Special Issue served to provide a platform for researchers to report results and findings in crystallization process technologies, simulation and process analytical technologies, and relevant crystallization studies.

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This Book serves to highlight the mechanisms related to the low intestinal drug absorption, the strategies to overcome the obstacles or intestinal drug absorption, and in situ, in vitro, and in silico methodologies to predict to intestinal drug absorption. This Book presents a series of drug absorption studies and related technologies that predict intestinal permeation of drugs that govern the pharmacokinetic features of therapeutic drugs. It also contains the mechanistic understanding regarding the first-pass metabolism and intestinal efflux that modulate the pharmacokinetics of drug and suggest the formulation strategies to enhance the bioavailability of investigated drugs.

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This reprint highlights high-quality original research and review papers that include innovative colloidal drug delivery systems and cutting-edge characterization techniques that significantly contribute to the area of nanomedicine. The results presented are of high interest for specialists from a broad spectrum of fields, including biomedical, pharmaceutical, industrial, and biotechnological spheres.

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The constant search for innovative magnetic materials increasingly leads to the creation of highly engineered systems built in different forms (films, wires, particles), structured on the nanoscale in at least one spatial direction, and often characterized by the coexistence of two or more phases that are magnetically and/or structurally different. In magnetic systems, the nanometric structural characteristics of the constituent elements, together with the type and strength of the magnetic interactions between them, determine the overall magnetic behavior and can lead to the appearance of unexpected and amazing magnetic phenomena. Indeed, the study of the magnetic properties of nanomaterials continues to arouse great interest for their intriguing fundamental properties and prospective technological applications. This Special Issue contributes to broadening the knowledge on magnetic nanomaterials, demonstrating the breadth and richness of this research field as well as the growing need to address it through an interdisciplinary approach. The papers collected in this book (two reviews and eight regular articles) report cutting-edge studies on the production and characterization of a variety of novel magnetic nanomaterials (nanoparticles, nanocomposites, thin films and multilayers), which have the potential to play a key role in different technologically advanced sectors, such as biotechnology, nanomedicine, energy, spintronics, data storage, and sensors.

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This reprint entitled "Nanomedicine Based Drug Delivery Systems: Recent Developments and Future Prospects" contains 14 articles in total. This includes one editorial, ten research articles, and three review articles. All articles are associated with nanomedicine-based drug delivery systems for the solubility, bioavailability, and therapeutic enhancement of active drug molecules. In recent years, there has been a tremendous amount of research on nanomedicine-based drug delivery systems. This reprint has brought together prominent scientists who have explored a diverse range of applications of nanomedicine-based drug delivery systems. I believe that further clinical and toxicological studies on both animal and human models are still required to explore the complete potential and commercial exploitation of nanomedicine-based drug delivery systems. The diverse and critical perspectives within this reprint provide sufficient information on the development, characterization, and evaluation of nanomedicine-based drug delivery systems.

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Conventional ophthalmic formulations lack prolonged drug release effects and mucoadhesive properties, decreasing their residence time in the precorneal area and, therefore, in drug penetration across ocular tissues, presenting a low bioavailability with a consequent reduction in the therapeutic efficacy. These limitations are related to the physiological mechanisms of the eye, for example, the diluting effect of formulations exerted by the tear fluid, constant turnover of the tear fluid, blink reflex, limited capacity of the conjunctival sac, and drainage of formulations applied by gravity.To increase the residence time of formulations on the surface of ocular tissues and increase their ability to penetrate these tissues, different strategies can be used, namely, the use of viscosifying agents, mucoadhesive polymers, stimuli-responsive polymers, microparticles, and colloidal carriers (e.g., micelles, liposomes, nanosuspensions, nanoemulsions, polymeric, and lipid nanoparticles). This Special Issue combines the latest research and review works reporting the use of nanoparticles in ophthalmic formulations to increase their bioavailability and improve the therapeutic efficacy of ophthalmic formulations.

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The present volume “New Trends in Lithium Niobate: From Bulk to Nanocrystals” contains the materials of a Special Issue of the MDPI journal Crystals dedicated to the memory of Prof. Dr. Ortwin F. Schirmer and provides a new synopsis of his research focusing on LiNbO3. It also includes recent developments, exemplifying the continued interest in this outstanding ferroelectric, non-linear optical and holographic crystal as a workhorse for testing and realizing new ideas and applications.This book starts with reviews on intrinsic and extrinsic crystal defects in LiNbO3 of single-crystal, thin-film or nano-powder forms, studied by various optical, magnetic resonance and nuclear methods, clarifying in particular the reasons for the suppression of anion vacancy formation upon thermal reduction, mechano-chemical processing or irradiations of various types. The reviews are followed by research papers on the experimental and theoretical investigation of small polarons, together with recent results on the properties of Li(Nb,Ta)O3 mixed crystals. Among the various contributions dealing with nonlinear optical applications, papers on device development, entangled photon pair generation and thin films on the Lithium Niobate On Insulator (LNOI) platform can also be found.

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The first nonlinear optical effect was observed in the 19th century by John Kerr. Nonlinear optics, however, started to grow up only after the invention of the laser, when intense light sources became easily available. The seminal studies by Peter Franken and Nicolaas Bloembergen, in the 1960s, paved the way for the development of today’s nonlinear photonics, the field of research that encompasses all the studies, designs, and implementations of nonlinear optical devices that can be used for the generation, communication, and processing of information. This field has attracted significant attention, partly due to the great potential of exploiting the optical nonlinearities of new or advanced materials to induce new phenomena and achieve new functions. According to Clarivate Web of Science, almost 200,000 papers were published that refer to the topic “nonlinear optic*”. Over 36,000 papers were published in the last four years (2015–2018) with the same keyword, and over 17,000 used the keyword “nonlinear photonic*”. The present Special Issue of Micromachines aims at reviewing the current state of the art and presenting perspectives of further development. Fundamental and applicative aspects are considered, with special attention paid to hot topics that may lead to technological and scientific breakthroughs.

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Research in ophthalmic drug delivery has developed significant advances in the few last years, and efforts have been made to develop more effective topical formulations to increase drug bioavailability, efficiency, and safety. Drug delivery to the posterior segment of the eye remains a great challenge in the pharmaceutical industry due to the complexity and particularity of the eye's anatomy and physiology. Some advances have been made with the purpose of maintaining constant drug levels in the site of action. The anatomical ocular barriers have a great impact on drug pharmacokinetics and, subsequently, on the pharmacological effect.Despite the increasing interest in efficiently reaching the posterior segment of the eye with reduced adverse effects, there is still a need to expand the knowledge of ocular pharmacokinetics that allow the development of safer and more innovative drug delivery systems. These novel approaches may greatly improve the lives of patients with ocular pathologies.

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Graphene is a two-dimensional, one-atom-thick material made entirely of carbon atoms, arranged in a honeycomb lattice. Because of its distinctive mechanical (e.g., high strength and flexibility) and electronic (great electrical and thermal conductivities) properties, graphene is an ideal candidate in myriad applications. Thus, it has just begun to be engineered in electronics, photonics, biomedicine, and polymer-based composites, to name a few. The broad family of graphene nanomaterials (including graphene nanoplatelets, graphene oxide, graphene quantum dots, and many more) go beyond and aim higher than mere single-layer (‘pristine’) graphene, and thus, their potential has sparked the current Special Issue. In it, 18 contributions (comprising 14 research articles and 4 reviews) have portrayed probably the most interesting lines as regards future and tangible uses of graphene derivatives. Ultimately, understanding the properties of the graphene family of nanomaterials is crucial for developing advanced applications to solve important challenges in critical areas such as energy and health.

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This book is a collection of research papers that describe some of the latest research on lithium niobate, which is an important material with many technological applications. The papers fall into three sections, which respectively consider the relationship between photorefractive properties and the defect structure of lithium niobate, powder preparation using a wet chemistry method and high-energy ball-milling technique, and finally the investigation of the domain structures, stability and conduction, and applications in waveguide devices.

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Silica and silicon-based nanostructures are now well-understood materials for which the technologies are mature. The most obvious applications, such as electronic devices, have been widely explored over the last two decades. The aim of this Special Issue is to bring together the state of the art in the field and to enable the emergence of new ideas and concepts for silicon and silica-based nanostructures.

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Development of strategies to assist the movement of poorly permeable molecules across biological barriers has long been the goal of drug delivery science. In the last three decades, there has been an exponential increase in advanced drug delivery systems that aim to address this issue. However, most proprietary delivery technologies that have progressed to clinical development are based on permeation enhancers (PEs) that have a history of safe use in man. This Special Issue entitled “Transmucosal Absorption Enhancers in the Drug Delivery Field” aims to present the current state-of-the-art in the application of PEs to improve drug absorption. Emphasis is placed on identification of novel permeation enhancers, mechanisms of barrier alteration, physicochemical properties of PEs that contribute to optimal enhancement action, new delivery models to assess PEs, studies assessing safety of PEs, approaches to assist translation of PEs into effective oral, nasal, ocular and vaginal dosage forms and combining PEs with other delivery strategies.

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Nanostructured zinc oxide materials are capturing a great deal of interest thanks to their outstanding and multifunctional properties, enabling broad series of intervention in the field of nanomedicine. ZnO can be easily prepared in a broad variety of shapes and shows anticancer and antimicrobial properties that are of interest for tissue engineering, controlled delivery of therapeutics, and even theranostics. This book is thus dedicated to the most recent advances in the field, presented as a collection of research papers and reviews. It spans from the synthesis and characterization of ZnO nanomaterials to their applications in the nanomedicine field, ranging from anticancer nanotherapeutics to dental implants and antibacterial agents.

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