Catia Contado is an associate professor of Analytical Chemistry at the University of Ferrara, where she currently teaches analytical chemistry, analytical techniques for characterizing nano- and micro-structured materials, and quality assurance for pharmaceutical industries. She earned a PhD in analytical and environmental chemistry at the University of Ferrara but she carried out her research at the Water Studies Centre of Monash University (Melbourne, AU) and at the Field Flow Fractionation Research Center of University of Utah (UT, USA). In 2006, as Fulbright Fellow, she worked at the Lerner Research Centre - Cleveland Clinic (OH, USA). Her research interests include the development of analytical methods for the analysis of micro and nanomaterials of natural and industrial origin, contained in pharmaceutical, food and consumer products.

• Part 1: Introduction1. Introduction - The new, latest improvements in the particle separation techniques2. What is a particle, classification and properties3. Particle dispersions in liquid media4. Particle characterization: parameters and selected methodsPart 2: Preparative separations5. Membrane-based filtration technology6. Sedimentation7. Electrophoresis and dielectrophoresis8. Magnetic Separations (MS)9. Historical overview of flow cytometry and frontier applications10. Affinity Chromatography11. Affinity separation on fibers and surfacesPart 3: Analytical separations12. Production, role and use of reference materials for nanoparticle characterization13. Size exclusion chormatography (SEC)14. Passive and active microfluidic separation methods15. Inertial microfluidic techniques16. Analytical ultracentrifugation17. Centrifugal liquid sedimentation methods18. Theoretical principles of field-flow fractionation and SPLITT19. Field flow fractionation (FFF): practical and experimental aspects20. Capillar electromigration techniquesPart 4: Present Challenges21. Regulatory and technical challenges in the size characterization of nanoparticulate systems