In the semiconductor chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) manufacturing process, the selection of abrasive materials is crucial to the precision, efficiency, and surface quality of devices. This review summarizes the abrasive materials used in semiconductor processing, focusing on their selection principles, material removal mechanisms, and performance optimization strategies. Based on physicochemical properties and polishing behaviors, typical abrasives (SiO2, Al2O3, CeO2, and composite particles) are compared: SiO2 has moderate removal efficiency and good dispersion stability, making it suitable for the polishing of silica-based and low-dielectric-constant insulating layers; Al2O3 is widely used in metal CMP (such as copper and tungsten) due to its high hardness; CeO2 has unique chemical activity and high selectivity, which is advantageous in the shallow trench isolation (STI) process. This review analyzes the current challenges (defect control, slurry stability, environmental constraints) and emerging trends (composite abrasive design, sustainable manufacturing). It provides technical insights for the development of high-precision and high-efficiency CMP processes in semiconductor manufacturing.

The oxygen evolution reaction (OER) is central to electrochemical water splitting but remains constrained by sluggish kinetics and catalyst degradation under harsh oxidative conditions. Although many nonprecious electrocatalysts exhibit promising activity at low current densities (10 ∼ 50 mA cm-2), attaining industrially relevant performance is still impeded by inefficient charge transport and unfavorable adsorption of OER intermediates, particularly at high current densities (∼500 mA cm-2). Herein, we develop a dual-step hydrothermal strategy to construct ultrathin NiMoO4·xH2O nanosheets on 3D nickel foam, followed by controlled Fe incorporation through ion-exchange-driven surface reconstruction. Consequently, the Fe-NiMoO4·xH2O electrode achieves an industrial-related current density of 500 mA cm-2 at a low overpotential of 305 mV with excellent long-term stability. In situ Raman spectroscopy reveals that Fe incorporation promotes the surface reconstruction of NiMoO4·xH2O into the catalytically active NiFeOOH phase under OER conditions. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations further demonstrate that, among various 3d transition-metal dopants in the NiMoO4 lattice, Fe incorporation gives the most thermodynamically stable configuration and the most favorable electronic structure. The resulting local electronic reconfiguration generates Fe-3d-enriched frontier states near the Fermi level (-0.5 to 0 eV), thereby facilitating charge transfer and optimizing the adsorption of OER intermediates. Overall, the integrated structural-electronic modulation optimizes the local atomic environment and accelerates OER kinetics, underscoring local charge engineering as an effective strategy for industrial-grade OER.

Precision medicine requires tools that can resolve molecular information at the nanoscale, where many early biological and pathological changes arise. Scanning near-field optical microscopy (SNOM) combines molecular vibrational fingerprints with nanoscale spatial resolution, providing a unique platform for overcoming the diffraction limit of conventional optics and enabling in situ chemical characterization of biological samples. This paper systematically reviews the development of SNOM from near-field imaging to spectroscopic platforms such as nano-FTIR and AFM-IR, and summarizes the latest advances in ultrafast, liquid-phase, terahertz, and miniaturized systems. Focusing on representative studies involving proteins, nucleic acids, bacteria, viruses, extracellular vesicles, and cell-material interfaces, this paper discusses SNOM's ability to resolve molecular heterogeneity, structural transitions, and local biochemical interactions in near-natural environments. Additionally, the article analyzes the major challenges facing its clinical translation, including sample preparation, signal-to-noise ratio, measurement speed, quantitative analysis, and standardization, and explores its application potential in AI-assisted analysis, portability, and neuroscience. SNOM is expected to become a key technological platform bridging molecular diagnostics and nanobiological imaging.

Pyroptosis, an inflammatory form of cell death, has recently attracted increasing attention in anticancer therapy. Endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-targeted pyroptosis has emerged as a highly promising strategy in theranostics, integrating tumor imaging and therapeutic interventions. Research on the use of ER-targeted theranostic agents for triggering pyroptosis is lacking. This study aims to develop an ER-targeting theranostic agent that enables the integration of tumor imaging and cancer-targeted therapeutics. The ER-targeting NIR fluorescent cyanine ER800 was synthesized, and ER800-FA-NPs were constructed. Flow cytometry, immunofluorescence, and Western blotting were employed to assess the ER targeting effect and pyroptosis in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cells in vitro. A TNBC cell xenograft model was used to investigate the antitumor efficacy. ER800-FA-NPs preferentially accumulate in the ER of TNBC cells, subsequently promoting ER stress via the generation of ROS. High ER stress triggers the activation of the GRP78-mediated PERK-eIF2α-ATF4-CHOP, ATF6, and IRE1-XBP1 signaling pathways, leading to LDH, IL-1β, and IL-18 release and cleavage of caspase-3/GSDME and ultimately promoting pyroptosis. In vivo experiments revealed that ER800-FA-NPs exhibited excellent tumor-targeting ability and antitumor efficacy against TNBC through caspase-3/GSDME pathway-mediated pyroptosis. Our research findings indicate that ER800-FA-NPs may serve as theranostic agents in tumor imaging-guided therapy, further supporting the use of ER-targeted pyroptosis for the treatment of TNBC.

The neurotoxicity of LPS-induced encephalitis stems from the oxidative stress and inflammatory storm it simultaneously triggers. Therefore, developing a synergistic strategy that efficiently enters the brain, eliminates free radicals, and regulates the immune microenvironment is key to therapeutic breakthroughs. To meet this challenge, this study developed a nanoplatform, cerium-doped carbon quantum dots (S2P@Ce-CQDs). This nanoplatform fully leverages the properties of Ce-CQDs, including their ultrasmall size, which enables excellent blood-brain barrier (BBB) penetration, and their inherent fluorescence, which facilitates tracking of treatment. Additionally, Ce doping confers the material dual enzymatic activity, mimicking superoxide dismutase and catalase, to efficiently eliminate excess reactive oxygen species (ROS) in the lesion area. Importantly, the surface-modified S2P targeting peptide specifically recognizes M1 macrophages, guiding S2P@Ce-CQDs to accumulate precisely at the encephalitis lesion. Systematic studies demonstrate that this platform not only effectively reduces oxidative stress damage but also modulates macrophage polarization, thereby reshaping the neuroinflammatory microenvironment. This multifunctional nanoplatform, which integrates targeted delivery, fluorescence imaging, antioxidant, and immune regulation, is expected to improve the problem that drugs are difficult to effectively cross the BBB in the treatment of encephalitis.

Cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) microdroplets are promising thermochromic materials due to their ease of fabrication and conformability to various application conditions. Here, we report CLC microdroplets with dual-mode structural color, a large reflection area, and a broad responsive temperature range. A scalable emulsion-templated strategy was employed to fabricate CLC microdroplets with high color uniformity. The thermochromic behavior of these CLC microdroplets can be finely tuned by engineering the components of CLC precursors. The contents of LC porogen 5CB, the host molecules of oligomer RM82-EDDT and monomer RM82, and the amounts of chiral dopant LC756 were systematically investigated to clarify the design space of CLC microdroplets. Using CLC microdroplets with designable color-changing pathways, a camouflage display and a temperature-sensing barcode were fabricated to demonstrate their potential applications. Our work provides a unique platform for thermochromic materials and is promising for thermochromic coatings, biosensing, anticounterfeiting labels, and smart displays.

Temperature-responsive supramolecular thermogels, advanced biomaterials that exhibit sol-to-gel phase transitions when warmed, show great promise as next-generation in vivo drug delivery depots for their excellent biocompatibility and ease of formulation and administration. However, the lack of permanent covalent cross-links within the gel framework often results in short in vivo persistence and rapid gel swelling, in turn limiting duration of sustained drug release attainable. Herein, we developed a general strategy that retains the thermogels' intrinsic ease of injectability, yet allowing significantly enhanced sustained drug release durations. By incorporating a visible light-cross-linkable chromophore into the thermogel polymer structure, in situ cross-linking can be achieved after depot administration with facile external control. As compared to conventional photo-cross-linking strategies utilizing ionizing and hazardous UV light, our thermogels can be covalently cured using blue light or even under ambient indoor lighting conditions, making them potentially suitable for sensitive applications such as ophthalmic drug release. We show that these thermogels can be applied as an in situ cross-linked depot that allows the release of the antivascular endothelial growth factor biologic, Aflibercept, to be prolonged for more than 3 months, achieving a marked improvement over existing treatment regimens for diseases such as neovascular age-related macular degeneration that necessitate monthly injections. Additionally, these photo-cross-linked thermogels can also prolong the release of small proteins (e.g., bovine serum albumin) from membrane-based delivery systems by more than 3 times compared to nonirradiated controls. These visible light-photo-cross-linkable gels offer new versatile platforms for achieving long-duration drug release suitable for different biological applications and delivery modalities.

Although commercial polyurethane foam (PUF) possessed significant recycling value, its permanently cross-linked structure made reprocessing and recycling highly challenging. This study utilized biosourced vanillin (VAN) and 4,4'-dithiodianiline (4-DTDA) to design a dual dynamic bond cross-linker (APDV) containing both S-S bonds and C═N bonds for the recycling and reprocessing of commercial PUF. Under hot-pressing conditions, the hydroxyl groups in APDV underwent exchange reactions with the urethane bonds in the polyurethane chains, enabling the one-step conversion of commercial PUF into high-performance plastics and adhesives. The recycled polyurethane plastic achieved a tensile strength of up to 81.50 MPa, while the presence of dual dynamic bonds resulted in a short relaxation time (τ = 15.6 s), endowing the material with excellent recyclability for multiple reuse cycles. Furthermore, the commercial PUF can be transformed into a high-strength adhesive with a lap-shear strength of 16.34 MPa, which was capable of easily lifting an 80 kg adult. This study provided a sustainable and implementable strategy for the recycling and reprocessing of commercial PUF.

The management of wounds with infection has consistently been an urgent problem due to bacterial infection and local inflammation. And owing to the overuse of antibiotics, drug-resistant superbugs have emerged, especially Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Hence, the treatment for MRSA-infected wounds is a critical problem. Here, a dissolvable microneedle patch that promotes wound healing with an inhibition effect on MRSA is reported. Specifically, it is represented by coupling the synthesized CuCoNCOs nanomaterials and tannic acid (TA) with hyaluronic acid (HA) to construct microneedle nanopatches. In view of the synergistic effect of copper (Cu) and cobalt (Co), the CuCoNCOs exhibit excellent antibacterial properties while maintaining great biological compatibility and persistence, ensuring low virulence to human cells. In addition, CuCoNCOs also present a high antioxidant and wound healing effect. The microneedle patches can quickly deliver CuCoNCOs antibacterial nanomaterials and TA to deep wound tissue. Therefore, CuCo-TA-MNs have shown good treatment effect in the treatment of MRSA infectious wounds. These results suggest that CuCo-TA-MNs have great promise in the treatment of clinically infectious wounds.