Harrson Santana ^1* Joaquin Ortega-Casanova ² Babak Aghel ³ João Lameu da Silva Júnior ⁴

• ¹ Centro de Tecnologia da Informação Renato Archer (CTI), Campinas, Brazil
• ² University of Malaga, Málaga, Andalusia, Spain
• ³ Kermanshah University of Technology, Kermanshah, Kerman, Iran
• ⁴ Federal University of ABC, Santo André, São Paulo, Brazil

The growth in global demand for sustainable and efficient processes is one of the main factors driving the competitiveness of industrial technology. In this context, process intensification using microfluidic devices has stands out due to the inherent advantages of reduced length scale, providing enhanced heat and mass transfer efficiency, high selectivity, and superior yields in chemical processes. The ability to control process variables more precisely also enables a high level of safety, essential in situations involving toxic or explosive reagents. Moreover, the development of high-efficiency modular plants with variable production rates offers adaptability and flexibility for diverse industrial applications. This editorial presents a collection of five papers that explore the state of the art of microfluidics-based technologies for the intensification of sustainable processes, covering a range of applications from chemical synthesis to environmental treatment. One of today's most important primary chemicals, methanol, was explored in the paper by Silva et al. (2024). The authors addressed methanol synthesis in catalyst-coated microreactors, comparing different microreactor configurations with fixed-bed reactors.Numerical analysis showed that microreactors can achieve performance equivalent to traditional reactors, with significant advantages in terms of pressure drop and scaling efficiency. This study was essential for understanding how microreactors can be effectively scaled, retaining the benefits of microscale while meeting industrial production demands. TSA is presented as a valuable tool for identifying bottlenecks in biochemical processes and proposing intensification improvements without the need for complex computational modeling. This article is particularly relevant for biomedical processes, where limited access to biological samples makes optimization a crucial task. This collection of papers clearly illustrates how microfluidics is being used to intensify processes in areas such as chemical synthesis, environmental treatment, and biomedical applications, contributing to more sustainable and efficient solutions. The diversity of applications presented in the articles in this Research Topic reflects the great potential of microfluidic devices to transform industrial processes by reducing costs, enhancing safety, and optimizing resource use.We hope this Research Topic inspires new advancements and promotes collaborations between scientists and engineers to overcome current challenges and further explore the opportunities that microfluidics can offer for the intensification of sustainable processes.