From fundamentals to applications: a review on femtosecond (fs) laser micro/nano processing, recently published online in the International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing. Dr. Le Gao and co-authors from University of Shanghai for Science and Technology present this comprehensive review on the development of fs laser micro/nano processing, including topics such as fundamentals and unique phenomena of fs-laser pluses and matter interactions, pulse-shaping and high throughput fabrication, fs-laser processing in transparent materials, 4D printing, heterogeneous integration and 3D functional micro devices manufactured by fs laser-powered processing technology. This review sums up the recent development of the technology and a perspective is proposed to explore the challenges and future opportunities for further betterment of fs laser micro/nano processing technology.

Researchers at the University of Liège (BE) have designed a high-performance, open-access continuous flow process to safely produce key antibacterial drugs from bio-based furfural. This work was carried out within an international consortium supported by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The results of the study—published in Angewandte Chemie International Edition—are available in open access.

New research from an international group looking at ancient sediment cores in the North Atlantic has for the first time shown a strong correlation between sediment changes and a marked period of global cooling that occurred in the Northern Hemisphere some 3.6 million years ago. The changes in sediments imply profound changes in the circulation of deep water currents occurred at this time.

This crucial piece of work, which showed sediments changed in multiple sites east of the mid-Atlantic ridge but not west of that important geographical feature, opens multiple doors to future research aimed at better understanding the link between deep water currents, Atlantic Ocean heat and salt distribution and ice-sheet expansion, and climatic change.

Researchers have developed a novel wearable biosensor for continuous cortisol monitoring, leveraging computational chemistry and advanced electronics. The system integrates molecularly imprinted polymers (MIPs) optimized via density functional theory for high selectivity, paired with organic electrochemical transistors (OECTs) for high sensitivity, achieving an ultra-low detection limit (0.36 nmol/L). Unlike traditional sensors, the device allows in-situ regeneration of MIPs using electric fields, enabling eight reuse cycles. A microfluidic sweat-sampling module and iontophoresis-driven sweat induction ensure noninvasive, real-time tracking, validated by circadian rhythm studies matching ELISA results. Encased in 3D-printed flexible packaging, the wireless system maintains stability under bending, paving the way for closed-loop therapeutics and precision health applications.

Inspired by the hollow skeletal structure of bird bones, which optimizes oxygen storage and respiratory efficiency, researchers from the University of Science and Technology Beijing developed a 3D hollow diamond-enhanced PEG composite PCM. The composite, HDF/PEG, leverages the excellent thermal conductivity of diamond and the advantages of a 3D interconnected structure to create a high-conductivity transport network.

Artificial light, once a luxury, has become central to modern life, with its evolution spanning from fire to LEDs. Now, researchers from the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences in Warsaw and Warsaw University of Technology led by Prof. Janusz Lewiński in collaboration with Prof. Andrew E. H. Wheatley from Cambridge University have developed a new class of efficient light-emitting materials as the promising candidates to be applied to lighten the darkness. They demonstrated easily accessible aluminium-based organometallic complexes that have the potential to be applied in optoelectronic devices. Let’s take a look closer at their recent studies.