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Micromachines
Special Issues
Nanostructured Glasses and Composites: Innovations in Properties, Microfabrication and Applications
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Nanostructured Glasses and Composites: Innovations in Properties, Microfabrication and Applications

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "D4: Glassy Materials and Micro/Nano Devices".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2026 | Viewed by 3119

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Dragana Marinković

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Vinča Institute of Nuclear Sciences, National Institute of the Republic of Serbia, University of Belgrade, 11001 Belgrade, Serbia
Interests: luminescent materials; synthesis; glasses; ceramics; colloids; thin films; photonic devices; inorganic materials; catalysis; nanostructured materials
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Maurizio Ferrari

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
IFN-CNR, CSMFO Laboratory and FBK Photonics Unit, Via alla Cascata 56/C, Povo, 38123 Trento, Italy
Interests: glass photonics; photon management; integrated optics; metamaterials for photonics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Nanostructured materials play a significant role in the advancement of scientific research and engineering technologies due to their optical and physicochemical properties and potential applications. The unique electrical, mechanical, optical, magnetic, and thermal properties of nanostructured glasses that are not present in conventional bulk glass of the same chemical composition, have opened up new areas in research and a next-generation revolution in nanotechnology. The deformation character and thermal annealing of the amorphous structure can have a significant effect on the structural and mechanical properties of nanostructured glasses. Also, modification in the properties can occur in metallic glass by controlling the crystallization process and the glass transition behavior. The design, microfabrication, and optimization of various production parameters have also been a major focus of research in nanostructured glassy materials with desired pattern geometries. The nanostructured glasses and composites can be fabricated by many approaches, with each fabrication technique having advantages and disadvantages in terms of design flexibility, fabrication simplicity, and cost-effectiveness. The nanostructured glasses and their composites with enhanced functional properties can be used in different fields such as optomechanics, nanofluidics, biomedicine, solar cells, energy storage devices, sensors, actuators, optics, laser technology, lab-on-chip platforms, chemical and biological sensors, and sophisticated optical guided waves.

This Special Issue is dedicated to advances and new developments in the characterization, structure design, microfabrication processes, and applications of nanostructured glasses and their composites. Invited, contributed, original, and review articles should investigate the complex interaction between nanostructured glasses and composites, their properties that characterize product design at the nano-scale, and microfabrication processes. This Special Issue is not limited with respect to the type of nanostructured glass or polymer matrix and microfabrication approach. Authors are encouraged to report advances for both novel and well-established microfabrication approaches. The goal is to provide state-of-the-art examples of new developments in nanostructured glasses and composites and their innovative applications.

Submit your original work and join us in advancing research on nanostructured glasses and composites!

Dr. Dragana Marinković
Dr. Maurizio Ferrari
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • nanostructured glass
  • nanostructured glassy composites
  • glass stability
  • metallic nanoglass
  • structure and processing of nanostructured glasses
  • structural relaxation
  • innovative properties of the nanostructured glasses
  • microfabrication processes
  • contactless hot embossing process
  • electrochemical etching
  • molds
  • mold fabrication methods
  • anti-adhesion coatings
  • lithography
  • micromachining
  • optomechanics
  • nanofluidics
  • solar cells
  • energy storage devices
  • sensors
  • actuators
  • optics
  • laser technology
  • lab-on-chip platforms
  • chemical and biological sensors
  • sophisticated optical guided waves
  • bioactive glasses

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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16 pages, 4387 KB  
Article
Effects of Preheating on Internal Modification and Welding Strength of Glass by Ultrafast Laser Pulses
by Rafid Hussein and Shuting Lei
Micromachines 2026, 17(5), 507; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17050507 - 22 Apr 2026
Abstract
Glass preheating prior to laser scanning is expected to enhance internal modification morphology; however, its effect on weld seam topology and welding strength have not been investigated. In the current work, the effects of preheating on ultrafast laser (184 fs and 10 ps) [...] Read more.
Glass preheating prior to laser scanning is expected to enhance internal modification morphology; however, its effect on weld seam topology and welding strength have not been investigated. In the current work, the effects of preheating on ultrafast laser (184 fs and 10 ps) internal modification and welding strength of borosilicate glass slides are investigated. For the internal modification experiments, pulse energy of 30–100 µJ and repetition rate of 10 kHz are used by focusing a laser beam at the interface of optically contacted slides at room temperature (RT ≈ 23 °C), 150 and 200 °C. Welding is conducted by a pulse energy of 4.5–18 µJ and repetition rate of 200 kHz using pre-clamped glass slides with a scanning speed of 10 mm/s at RT and 150 °C. Also, for welding, the optimum number of scans and hatching spacing are identified. Filamentation experiments show that discoloration is not significant when preheat temperature reaches 200 °C. Compared to 10 ps, pulse duration of 184 fs can produce a 19% narrower plasma-modified region at both RT and 150 °C and a 13% wider heat-affected zone at 150 °C. Welding using optimum conditions of 5 scans and 200 µm hatch, and “crack-free” laser parameters produces an average strength of: 50 ± 3.2 MPa at RT and 40 ± 2 MPa at 150 °C for 184 fs compared to 35 MPa at RT and 32 MPa at 150 °C for 10 ps, using 10 replicates each. However, the welding strength upon preheating to 150 °C using 184 fs is still 25% higher compared to average reported laser welding bonding strength, while the 10 ps strength is within the reported average. The enhanced welding strength for 184 fs can be attributed to reduced microcracking, especially when “crack free” combinations are utilized. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Glasses and Composites: Innovations in Properties, Microfabrication and Applications)
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20 pages, 5344 KB  
Article
Photoluminescence and Scintillation Properties of Ce3+-Doped GdBO3 Nanoscintillator Sensors: Effect of Some Synthesis Parameters
by Lakhdar Guerbous, Mourad Seraiche, Ahmed Rafik Touil, Zohra Akhrib and Rachid Mahiou
Micromachines 2026, 17(1), 34; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi17010034 - 28 Dec 2025
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Abstract
Cerium (Ce3+)-doped gadolinium orthoborate (GdBO3) phosphor powders were synthesized via an aqueous sol–gel route, with systematic variation in solution pH (2, 5, and 8) and annealing temperature (600–1200 °C, in 100 °C increments) to investigate their influence on structural, [...] Read more.
Cerium (Ce3+)-doped gadolinium orthoborate (GdBO3) phosphor powders were synthesized via an aqueous sol–gel route, with systematic variation in solution pH (2, 5, and 8) and annealing temperature (600–1200 °C, in 100 °C increments) to investigate their influence on structural, optical, and scintillation properties. The materials were comprehensively characterized using thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TG–DTA) to assess thermal behavior, X-ray diffraction (XRD) for crystal structure determination, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) for vibrational analysis, and both photoluminescence (PL) and radioluminescence (RL) spectroscopies to evaluate optical and scintillation performance. All samples crystallized in the hexagonal GdBO3 vaterite phase (space group P63/mcm). The PL and RL emission spectra were consistent with the Ce3+ 5d–4f transitions, and scintillation yields under X-ray excitation were quantified relative to a standard Gadox phosphor. A decrease in photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) was observed at annealing temperatures above 800 °C, which is attributed to the incorporation of Ce3+ into the host lattice. Scintillation decay profiles were recorded, enabling extraction of timing kinetics parameters. Overall, the results reveal clear correlations between synthesis conditions, structural evolution, and luminescence behavior, providing a rational basis for the optimization of Ce3+-doped GdBO3 phosphors for scintillation applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nanostructured Glasses and Composites: Innovations in Properties, Microfabrication and Applications)
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