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Nowadays, additive manufacturing technologies have impacted different engineering sectors. Three- and four-dimensional printing techniques are increasingly used in soft and flexible electronics thanks to the possibility of working contemporarily with several materials on various substrates. The materials portfolio is wide, as well as printing processes. Shape memory polymers, together with composites, have gained great success in the electronic field and are becoming increasingly popular for fabricating pH, temperature, humidity, and stress sensors that are integrated into wearable, stretchable, and flexible devices, as well as for the fabrication of communication devices, such as antennas. Here, we report an overview of the state of the art about the application of 4D printing technologies and smart materials in electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerning environmental safety and mitigating the risk of water pollution, the electroplating industry, historically reliant on the use of elevated concentrations of heavy metals to achieve high-quality products, faces a crucial challenge in monitoring wastewater enriched with these metals, notorious for their adverse effects on ecosystems and human health. Chromium, in both oxidation states Cr (III) and Cr (VI), emerges as a prominently employed metal, yielding noteworthy outcomes throughout the galvanisation process. This research showcases the prototype of an automatic in situ sensor tailored to industry sustainability efforts to facilitate real-time monitoring and efficient water management. This custom sensor, characterized by sensitivity, reliability, and user-friendliness, utilizes UV-Vis colorimetric principle to detect Cr in both oxidation forms ranging from grams per litre (g/L) to parts per million (ppm). This is made possible by the unique vibrant colours induced by chromium ions, enabling the precise measurement of analyte concentrations. Thanks to 3D printing, this sensor system interacts with customized parts, designed and validated through simulation processes, for filtering out particulate that may interfere with the analysis. The outcome represents a synergistic blend of technology and environmental responsibility, aligning industrial processes with the goal of safeguarding water resources and ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modifying material properties within a specific spatial region is a pivotal stage in the fabrication of microelectronic devices. Laser annealing emerges as a compelling technology, offering precise control over the crystalline structure of semiconductor materials and facilitating the activation of doping ions in localized regions. This obviates the necessity for annealing the entire wafer or device. The objective of this review is to comprehensively investigate laser annealing processes specifically targeting the crystallization of amorphous silicon (Si) and silicon carbide (SiC) samples. Silicon finds extensive use in diverse applications, including microelectronics and solar cells, while SiC serves as a crucial material for developing components designed to operate in challenging environments or high-power integrated devices. The review commences with an exploration of the underlying theory and fundamentals of laser annealing techniques. It then delves into an analysis of the most pertinent studies focused on the crystallization of these two semiconductor materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water contamination by Arsenic poses a serious risk for human health, due to its manifold toxic effects. The concern is mainly for drinking water, regarded as the most imperative route of Arsenic exposure to human beings. The maximum concentration limit for Arsenic in drinking water was fixed by World Health Organisation (WHO) at 10 µg L-1 but in many developing nations it is increased to 50 µg L-1 due to economic constraints to detect lower concentrations. In this scenario, the design of an affordable Arsenic sensor, for routine monitoring of water, is crucial. The answer to these requirements can be the lab-on-a-chip technology applied to a microfluidic device. Available detection methods for Arsenic are investigated, focusing on their potential application on a portable monitoring device: among them a colorimetric method, based on Rodamine B as indicator, and chronopotentiometry were selected as suitable for the required purpose. Preliminary laboratory tests were aimed to determine the limit of Arsenic concentration detectable by both the methods; the lower value of 1 µg L-1 was detected by chronopotentiometry, in good agreement with the required resolution of the measurement. Moreover, a process optimization adapted the method for the microfluidic technology. Obtained results point out the new developing lab-on-a-chip technology as good candidate to address the need for a capillary and frequent monitoring of Arsenic contamination of water by an easy and cheap portable device. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water environmental monitoring is an important key to control both human life and environment health. When water quality is poor, it affects not only aquatic life but the surrounding ecosystem as well. The greatest limitation of detection devices, today on the market, is that they are limited to the measurement phase, burdening the operator of the previous sample treatment. The development of a threshold monitoring device, designed for real time water environmental monitoring, was the aim of this study. The focus was on the design of an autonomous system for detection of dissolved heavy metals in water by spectrophotometric analysis. The ground-breaking idea is the implementation of a system inspired to the latest innovative techniques in the field of the microfluidic analysis, based on Lab-on- Chip concept. Such a choice is due to the unique advantages in terms of reduction of sample and reagents volumes, energy budget and analysis times, besides the possible multi-element analysis on the same sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proposed paper is about the development of an integrated manufacturing process for smart 3D polymeric components, with electronics embedded, developed in the framework of research collaboration between the university partner and a group of SME. The system will be able to produce a polymeric structure by additive manufacturing technique, whereas a robotic system is integrated in the line to assemble electronic components onto the part while the manufacturing process goes on. A laser engraving station will process the component, providing micro- and nano-surface structuring, microcutting and microdrilling. Finally, another laser source is integrated in the system to weld electronic parts and circuits within the manufactured component. At the same time, the assembly of large size systems by welding small size components is allowed, and also a sealed atmosphere is ensured by welding a plastic cap onto the plastic structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]