Book excerpt: This first book on this fascinating, interdisciplinary topic meets the much-felt need for an up-to-date overview of the field. Written with both beginners and professionals in mind, this ready reference begins with an introductory section explaining the basics of the various multi-photon and photochemical processes together with a description of the equipment needed. A team of leading international experts provides the latest research results on such materials as new photoinitiators, hybrid photopolymers, and metallic carbon nanotube composites. They also cover promising applications and prospective trends, including photonic crystals, microfluidic devices, biological scaffolds, metamaterials, waveguides, and functionalized hydrogels. By bringing together the essentials for both industrial and academic researchers, this is an invaluable companion for materials scientists, polymer chemists, surface chemists, surface physicists, biophysicists, and medical scientists working with 3D micro- and nanostructures.