Laser ablation of solids in liquids is a methodically straightforward and material-wise versatile method for synthesizing colloidal nanoparticles. Until now, this method has been difficult to access for researchers due to demanding laser operation conditions. In the last decade, compact, air-cooled and short-pulsed lasers with average power in the watt range became available. They are suitable for ablation and designed for integration. Fully functional systems for laser-based nanoparticle synthesis in 19" rack-mountable format are accessible. The integration of class 4 lasers in class 1 laser machines requires high safety measures, which were primarily implemented at the design level to be highly robust. Systems of light-sensitive detectors and controllable actuators make the sample production very reliable. An integrated autosampler enables the production of over 100 different samples in a single run. The device is a powerful tool for nanomaterial research for scientist from all application disciplines.

The search for materials with improved mechanical properties and functionalities has boost the development of advanced continuous nanofibers. The development of nanofibers and nanotubes predicted the production of new nano-composites with exceptional mechanical properties. However, the breakthrough predictions haven’t been achieved yet, in part due to the reduced length of the nanofibers or nanotubes, which restrained the mechanical reinforcement and manufacturing. Consequently, there is an enormous interest in the development of advanced continuous nanofibers, but conventional methods for fiber spinning cannot produce fibers thinner than some micrometers robustly. Here, we present two laser-assisted methods to produce nanofibers: Laser Spinning and COFIBLAS.

Both techniques will be explained as well as the potential applications of the nanofibers so produced in the biomedical field, textile field, composite manufacturing, etc.

Laser Surface Texturing (LST) has emerged as an innovative technique, enabling precise surface modifications at micro- and nanoscales to prevent bacterial colonization. This study examines the antibiofouling properties of laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) with a periodicity of approximately 700 nm, generated through femtosecond laser irradiation at 1030 nm. LIPSS were textured on a borosilicate substrate, used as floor of a 3D-printed four-channels microfluidic system exposed to Escherichia coli (E. coli). Two arrangements were investigated: longitudinal and transversal, i.e., parallel and perpendicular to the channel axis. Live-microscopy results show that LIPSS, being smaller than bacterial dimensions, effectively inhibited bacterial aggregation. Moreover, the transversal orientation of the LIPSS further improve their antibiofouling properties. This dual dependency on direction of flow highlights the critical role of morphology design in mitigating bacterial adhesion and biofilm development.

A donut-shaped laser beam has been shown to effectively alter the size distribution of nanoparticles synthesized by pulsed laser ablation in liquids. A significant decrease in particle size, a narrower size distribution, and an enhancement in sphericity when using the donut-shaped beam compared to the Gaussian beam is illustrated while conducting experiments on gold, yttrium oxide, and high-entropy alloy targets in water. We observe that the donut-shaped beam creates a toroidal-structured bubble that envelopes the ring-shaped ablation site, in contrast to the quasi-hemispherical bubble that covers the ablation spot produced by the Gaussian beam. This pioneering study can be a starting point for more investigations using higher temporal and spatial resolution.

A process of laser gas atomization (LGA) is presented for obtaining a spherical powder in a wide size range of 5 nm - 100 μm, in which laser beams conical geometry melt or evaporates or forms near surface plasma from wire in an inert gas flow conical geometry. The efficiency of the method is up to 0.5 kg/kWh . The method can be used to obtain powders from various materials - metals, ceramics, plastics.

The new method - laser centrifugal atomization (LCA) have been developed in which the end of a rotating hollow cylinder is melted, evaporates by a system of several lasers.

The productivity of obtaining powders from the melt (size 30-200 microns) will be up to 500 kg / h with an efficiency of 0.41 kW h / kg, and nanoparticles from the vapor plume or plasma - up to 150 kg/h with an efficiency of 0.87 kWh/kg.

This study presents the synthesis of dual-stoichiometry copper sulphide nanoparticles (CSNPs), featuring covellite (CuS) and digenite (Cu1.8S) phases, via laser ablation in DMSO using a 527 nm nanosecond pulsed laser. The nanoparticles (<30 nm) exhibit high absorbance in the second near-infrared window and photoluminescence, making them suitable for biomedical applications.

CSNPs demonstrated exceptional photothermal therapy potential, achieving a 52.2°C temperature rise at 1 mg/mL under 1080 nm laser irradiation, with high photothermal stability. In vitro, they induced significant cancer cell death under laser exposure while showing minimal cytotoxicity in the absence of irradiation.

Additionally, CSNPs enhanced contrast in photoacoustic imaging, outperforming ultrasound imaging. Their dual-stoichiometry extended absorption in the NIR range, improving photothermal and photoacoustic efficiencies. These findings highlight the promise of CSNPs as versatile agents for minimally invasive cancer therapies and advanced imaging, with potential for future in vivo applications.