Novel micro- and nanomaterials have attracted significant interest for pharmaceutical applications. With nanotechnology, small particles fabricated at a micro- or nanoscale show high dissolution rate in body fluids, high permeation through skin and membranes, good activity in cell targeting, high sensitivity for medical imaging in the human body, etc. To achieve more desirable functions, current research focuses on developing methods for the synthesis of micro- and nano pharmaceuticals. At present, nanotechnology alongside with DNA-enzymes has been used to target cancer cells. Controlled release results from material modification. Microencapsulation, and microfluidic techniques are some of the advanced approaches that have been used to achieve this.

However, not knowing much about manufactured novel materials delays the application of novel medicines from in vivo to humen. Thus, the key challenge is to better understand the mechanism, and interactions between the living and nano pharmaceuticals. Animal tests and clinical trials are as important as the construction of vivo-mimicking models because they assess the potential use of novel materials in future medicines. Meanwhile, the non-toxic nanomaterials for pharmaceutical applications have always been a big challenge. Therefore, efforts towards developing pharmaceuticals benign by design and making the function process of nanomaterials applied in medicine clearer must be topics addressed from now on. In nanotechnology, instrumental analysis of micro- and nanomaterials is a key research area for studying the above-mentioned challenges. It is also a rapid, and reliable evaluation tool for accelerating research development. Novel analysis ideas are always important. From an industrial perspective, pharmaceutical engineering is the last step for novel medicines to be practically used.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collate original research articles providing valuable inputs in nanomaterial design for pharmaceutical applications. Submissions focussing on the development of novel devices, and the improvement of current technologies are also encouraged. Moreover, we hope that this Special Issue increases our understanding of nanotechnology. Review articles discussing the state of the art are also welcome.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• Nanotechnology in medicine
• Novel materials for pharmaceutical applications
• Synthesis of micro pharmaceuticals
• Synthesis of nano pharmaceuticals
• Animal tests, and clinical trials
• Toxicologic study of nanomaterials
• Instrumental analysis of micro- and nanomaterials
• Pharmaceutical engineering