Energetic materials store large amounts of chemical energy that can be rapidly released and directed in applications such as propellants, explosives, and pyrotechnics. Traditional experimental methods provide insight into bulk powder behavior; however, averaging effects in heterogeneous particle systems often obscure the fundamental mechanisms controlling energy release at the micro- and nanoscale. This dissertation resolves this limitation by developing automated and fully autonomous experimental platforms for high-throughput characterization of individual particle behavior. An initial automated framework was developed to investigate laser-induced reactions in aluminum microparticles using a combination of scanning electron microscopy and custom optical microscopy. This system achieved over a 100x increase in experimental throughput and enabled the determination of reaction thresholds as a function of particle size. Building upon this foundation, a fully autonomous optical platform was designed and implemented, integrating custom optics, computer-visionbased particle detection, machine-learning-based outcome classification, and precise motion control with synchronized laser excitation. This system enables the identification, targeting, and testing of individual particles without human intervention, permitting rapid data collection and statistical characterization of reaction behavior. A thermomechanical model was developed to interpret these results and investigate the roles of energy deposition, heat transfer, and material properties in governing particle reactivity. Together, these experimental and modeling efforts provide insight into laser-driven particle spallation and demonstrate how automated, data-driven experimentation can accelerate materials research.
ABSTRACT Acoustic manipulation and propulsion technologies have emerged as powerful platforms for micro/nanoscale control, enabled by their non‐contact operation, label‐free compatibility, biocompatibility, and strong penetration capability. This review systematically examines the physical mechanisms and recent advances in acoustically enabled passive particle manipulation and autonomous microswimmer propulsion. First, this article outlines the generation and propagation of acoustic waves and their fundamental interactions with matter, with emphasis on acoustic radiation forces and acoustic streaming. It then classifies representative device architectures and acoustic field modulation strategies based on bulk acoustic wave and surface acoustic wave systems. Building on this framework, recent progress in precise target manipulation across diverse media is synthesized, encompassing trapping, transport, enrichment, separation, and patterning. Furthermore, the review highlights the rapidly evolving field of acoustically driven microswimmers, analyzing autonomous propulsion mechanisms arising from shape‐ and density‐induced asymmetries, cavitation phenomena, and sharp‐edge oscillations, as well as recent advances in collective behavior, swarm coordination, and intelligent navigation. By delineating the developmental trajectory and key challenges of acoustic manipulation and propulsion, this review establishes a comprehensive knowledge framework for interdisciplinary researchers and highlights future opportunities in precision medicine, smart materials, micro/nano‐fabrication, and cross‐scale biological manipulation.
Unknown authors· Advancement of science· 0 citations
Ultrafast laser micro- and nanofabrication has emerged as a powerful platform for precision manufacturing due to the unique capability of femtosecond pulses to provide highly localized energy deposition and controlled laser–matter interactions. However, conventional scanning-based processing approaches remain limited by a fundamental trade-off between spatial resolution and fabrication throughput. Recent advances in ultrafast optical field engineering provide new strategies for overcoming these limitations through coordinated control of temporal, spatial, and spatiotemporal characteristics of ultrashort laser fields. This review presents recent developments in ultrafast optical field engineering for laser micro- and nanofabrication, covering programmable pulse shaping, spatiotemporal control, spatial light modulation, structured light approaches, holographic methods, and hybrid optical architectures. The operating principles of these technologies are discussed together with their influence on energy deposition, processing accuracy, scalability, and manufacturing efficiency. Particular attention is given to applications in high-throughput surface structuring, parallel microfabrication, three-dimensional processing, photonic device fabrication, and functional material modification. Different optical architectures are compared in terms of flexibility, optical efficiency, power-handling capability, and industrial applicability. The review highlights the transition from conventional single-spot processing toward adaptive, parallel, and programmable optical manufacturing systems, emphasizing integrated control of ultrafast optical fields as a key direction for future laser fabrication.
Femtosecond laser processing enables spatially controlled modification of the structure, composition, and functionality of advanced materials through highly localized energy deposition and laser–matter interaction mechanisms. This review discusses the role of ultrafast laser irradiation in the engineering of oxide-based functional systems, including functional oxides, oxide-containing layers, interfaces, and heterogeneous structures whose properties are substantially determined by an oxide component. The mechanisms governing laser-induced oxidation, phase transformation, elemental redistribution, defect generation, and hierarchical micro-/nanostructure formation are considered. Particular attention is given to the ability of femtosecond laser processing to create surfaces with tailored interactions with light, liquids, biological environments, and external stimuli, enabling responsive devices and advanced manufacturing strategies. Laser-modified oxide layers and nanostructured interfaces are analyzed as pathways for controlling surface energy, optical properties, chemical activity, and functional response. The relationship between laser-generated architectures and their applications in sensing, actuation, wetting control, and multifunctional systems is discussed. By connecting ultrafast laser surface engineering with emerging 4D manufacturing concepts, this review highlights femtosecond laser technologies as a versatile platform for designing systems with spatially programmed functionality and, where stimulus-dependent behavior is demonstrated, time-dependent performance. Such approaches provide opportunities for integrating adaptive oxide-based functional systems into advanced manufacturing.
Many responsive polymeric systems, important for pharmaceutical formulations, exhibit complex phase behavior which require both large and precise experimental data sets for identifying phase boundaries between various self-assemblies, morphologies, and solution properties. Datasets of these polymeric systems are often limited by the quantity of materials and the time required to prepare samples and collect data. Here we develop automated methods for sample preparation and analysis while using initial sample volumes on the order of 100 µL. This volume was small enough to enable a dataset of a model monoclonal antibody protein solution. Two sample-delivery approaches (syringe- or pneumatic-based) are used to control the flow and mixing within the same measurement platform. The sample is appropriately delivered to a commercial low-volume temperature-controlled spectroscopic flow cell for characterization using in-line ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy, turbidity, dynamic light scattering, and a separate microcapillary rheometer for viscosity measurements. This approach can be further optimized to expedite structure-property datasets for the development of materials with targeted properties.
P. Salipante, Phillip D. Pickett, Austin Gallegos et al.· Soft Matter· 0 citations
Flexible pressure sensors have emerged as key enablers for wearable electronics and human-machine interfaces. Currently, introducing microstructures into the sensing medium is commonly adopted to tailor sensor performance. However, conventional single-scale structures (purely nano‑ or micro-scale) struggle to balance high sensitivity with a broad sensing range, and the corresponding fabrication processes are generally complex, time‑consuming, and incompatible with large-scale production. This study proposes a hierarchical architecture endowed with the synergistic effect of micro/nanostructures and develops a hybrid manufacturing strategy combining femtosecond laser processing and precision molding to enable high-quality, low-cost, scalable fabrication of such structures on pressure-sensing substrates. Specifically, femtosecond laser is employed to create the micro/nanoscale hierarchical structures on titanium alloy templates, which then act as durable molds to realize mass replication of flexible pressure‑sensing substrates. Within this dual-scale framework, nanoscale features are designed to achieve high sensitivity detection in the low‑pressure region, while the relatively large structures (microscale) help extend the overall sensing range. Benefiting from the synergistic effect of such multilevel micro/nanostructures, the as‑fabricated sensor exhibited a broad pressure detection range of 0.014-420 kPa with a stable response and achieved a high sensitivity of 0.87423 kPa-1 within the 0-2.3 kPa interval. Moreover, the device demonstrated a rapid response time of 40 ms and a recovery time of 60 ms and maintained consistent sensing performance after a 3-week long-term durability test consisting for 20,000 loading-unloading cycles. Practical test verifies that sensors with hierarchical micro/nanostructures enable accurate and reliable detection of the full spectrum of signals generated by human daily living and various activities, ranging from subtle human physiological signals (e.g., voice and pulse waveforms), moderate motion signals (e.g., joint flexion and limb movement), to large dynamic load motions (e.g., walking). The well-balanced overall performance makes the sensor highly promising for wearable health monitoring and human-machine interaction. Furthermore, this work offers an innovative manufacturing route for the design and mass production of next-generation high-performance flexible pressure sensors.
Can Yang, Jiale Li, Xiao-Hong Yin et al.· ACS Applied Materials and In...· 0 citations
Enzyme-powered micro/nanomotors (EMNMs) are a type of self-propelled devices that biologically convert chemical energy into mechanical work through enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Compared to conventional chemically driven counterparts, a significant advantage of these platforms lies in their utilization of endogenous substrates, such as glucose, urea, glycerides, and peptides, to achieve autonomous propulsion. Through the rational design and regulation of functional material components, EMNMs can efficiently perform tasks ranging from active target recognition to autonomous drug loading and controlled release for biomedical applications. Additionally, emerging therapeutic modalities, such as photothermal and starvation therapy integrated with EMNMs, have been extensively investigated for diverse clinical interventions. Up to date, several reviews have outlined general progress in the field, however, a comprehensive synthesis of fabrication strategies and their specific therapeutic applications remain relatively underexplored. To address this gap, this review comprehensively elucidates the design principles and construction strategies of EMNMs through enzyme selection, matrix materials, and morphological structures. Besides, the latest research advances in treating cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, cancer, and urological disorders were also systematically summarized. Through further analyzing current bottlenecks and outlines future directions, this article might aim to providing a cornerstone reference and strategic guidance for future endeavors of EMNMs in related fields. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: ∙The core design principles and fabrication methodologies of enzyme-powered micro/nanomotors (EMNMs) are comprehensively elucidated. ∙Systematic structure-activity correlations of EMNMs are established across three pivotal dimensions: enzyme screening, matrix scaffolds and morphological architectures. ∙State-of-the-art advances of EMNM platforms for therapeutic intervention against malignancies, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular pathologies, and urinary tract disorders are thoroughly summarized.
Qiong Su, Yan Li, Jun-Qiu Liu et al.· Acta Biomaterialia· 0 citations
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