In this study, we report bright yellow-green-emitting CuInS2 (CIS)-based quantum dots (QDs) and two-band white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) using them. To achieve high quantum efficiency (QE) of yellow-green-emitting CIS QDs, core/shell/shell strategy was introduced to high quality CIS cores (QE = 31.7%) synthesized by using metal-oleate precursors and 1-dodecanethiol. The CIS/ZnS/ZnS QDs showed a high QE of 80.0% and a peak wavelength of 559 nm under the excitation of 450 nm, which is well matched with dominant wavelength of blue LEDs. The formation of core/shell/shell structure was confirmed by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and inductively coupled plasma-optical emission spectroscopy analyses. Intense and broad yellow-green emission band of the CIS/ZnS/ZnS is beneficial for bright two-band white light. When the CIS/ZnS/ZnS was coated on the blue LEDs, the fabricated white LED showed bright natural white light (luminous efficacy (η(L)) = 80.3 lm·W(-1), color rendering index (R(a)) = 73, correlated color temperature (T(c)) = 6140 K). The QD-white LED package showed a high light conversion efficiency of 72.6%. In addition, the CIS/ZnS/ZnS-converted white LED showed relatively stable white light against the variation of forward bias currents of 20-150 mA [color coordinates (x, y) = (0.3320-0.3207, 0.2997-0.2867), R(a) = 70-72, T(c) = 5497-6375 K].

Here, excitation orthogonalized red/green/blue upconversion luminescence (UCL)-based full-color tunable rareearth (RE) ion-doped upconversion nanophosphors (UCNPs) are reported. The LiREF 4 -based core/sextuple-shell (C/6S) UCNPs are synthesized, and they consist of a blue-emitting core, green-emitting inner shell, and red-emitting outer shell, with inert intermediate and outermost shells. The synthesized C/6S UCNPs emit blue, green, and red light under 980, 800, and 1532 nm, respectively. Importantly, by combining incident near-infrared (NIR) light with various wavelengths (800, 980, and 1532 nm), full-color UCL including blue, cyan, green, yellow, orange, red, purple, and white UCL is achieved from the single C/6S UCNP composition. The color gamut obtained from the C/6S UCNPs shows 101.6% of the sRGB standard color gamut. Furthermore, transparent C/6S UCNP-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) composite is prepared. Full-color display realized in the transparent C/6S UCNP-PDMS composite indicates the feasibility of constructing the C/6S UCNP-based three-dimensional volumetric displays with wide color gamut.

Red, green, blue, and natural white upconversion (UC) luminescence colors are realized from the tetragonal-structured LiGdF4-based core/triple-shell (C/T-S) upconversion nanophosphors (UCNPs) and the C/T-S UCNP-incorporated polymer composites. The LiYF4:Yb cores are used as sensitized seeds for the formation of LiGdF4:Yb,Tm UC shell followed by the growth of LiGdF4:Tb,Eu color tuning shell. Finally, LiYF4 inert shell is grown on the core/shell/shell UCNPs, and LiYF4:Yb/LiGdF4:Yb,Tm/LiGdF4:Tb,Eu/LiYF4 C/T-S UCNPs exhibit enhanced UC luminescence. The single tetragonal-phased C/T-S UCNPs exhibit blue, green, and red UC luminescence, which is attributed to the electronic transitions in Tm3+ via energy transfer UC process and Tb3+ and Eu3+ via energy migration UC process, respectively. The multicolor UC emissions, including natural white, medium aquamarine, purple, and thistle color, are created by fine-tuning of the ratio of Tb3+ and Eu3+ in the color tuning shell. The transparent polymer composites are prepared by incorporating the C/T-S UCNPs into polydimethylsiloxane, and the polymer composites also exhibit red, green, blue, and natural white light UC emissions, indicating that these multicolor tunable LiYF4:Yb/LiGdF4:Yb,Tm/LiGdF4:Tb,Eu/LiYF4 C/T-S UCNPs have potential to be applied to transparent volumetric displays.

Copper oxide (CuO) quantum dots (QDs) having a diameter of 5-8 nm were synthesized by a simple solution process. The as-synthesized QDs showed a highly crystalline monoclinic phase of CuO with a bandgap of $1.75 eV. The CuO QDs were further formulated as an ink for inkjet printing of CuO field effect transistors (FETs). The ink-jetting behavior of the as-formulated ink samples showed that the CuO concentration and digitally controlled number of over-prints are important factors for optimizing the uniformity and thickness of printed films with smooth edge definition. To examine the electrical properties, CuO FETs were fabricated based on inkjet-printed line and dot patterns. The inkjet-printed CuO FETs showed a p-type semiconducting nature with a high carrier mobility of 16.4 cm 2 V À1 s À1 (linepattern) and 16.6 cm 2 V À1 s À1 (dot-pattern). Interestingly, when microwave-assisted annealing was applied the FET showed $2 times higher mobility (i.e., 28.7 for line-pattern and 31.2 cm 2 V À1 s À1 for dot-pattern), which is the best among the p-type inorganic based FETs.

The development of a simple and reliable method for nanoparticles-based ink in an aqueous solution is still a challenge for its inkjet printing application. Herein, we demonstrate the inkjet printing of fractal-aggregated silver (Ag) electrode lines on substrates. Spherical, monodisperse Ag nanoparticles have been synthesized using silver nitrate as a precursor, ethylene glycol as a reducing agent, and polyvinyl pyrrollidone as a capping agent. As-synthesized pure Ag nanoparticles were well dispersed in water-ethylene glycol mixture, which was directly used as an ink for inkjet printing. Using this ink, the Ag electrodes of fractal-connected lines were printed on Si/SiO2, glass, and polymer substrates. The fractal-connected Ag lines were attributed to the diffusion-limited aggregation of Ag nanoparticles and the effect of annealing on conductivity was also examined.

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Colloidal quantum dots (QDs) are attractive candidates for future lighting technology. However, in contrast to display applications, the realization of balanced white lighting devices remains conceptually challenging. Here, we demonstrate two-component white light-emitting QD-LEDs with high color rendering indices (CRI) up to 78. The implementation of orange CuInS/ZnS (CIS/ZnS) QDs with a broad emission and high quantum yield together with blue ZnCdSe/ZnS QDs in a mixed approach allowed white light emission with low blue QD content. The devices reveal only a small color drift in a wide operation voltage range. The correlated color temperature (CCT) could be adjusted between 2200 and 7200 K (from warm white to cold white) by changing the volume ratio between orange and blue QDs (1:0.5 and 1:2).

This study reports red-emitting LiErF4:Tm-based upconversion nanophosphors (UCNPs) with small size and high brightness for simultaneous upconversion luminescence (UCL) imaging and photothermal therapeutics. Strong red UCL is realized from LiErF4-based UCNPs by doping Tm3+ into LiErF4 and forming multishells on the LiErF4:Tm core. The ultrasmall LiErF4:Tm UCNPs are facilely synthesized by using rare-earth-oleate precursors and a mixed solvent of oleic acid and 1-octadecene. The size of the ultrasmall LiErF4:Tm­(0.3%) UCNPs is finely tuned from 2.8 to 10.4 nm, and LiErF4:Tm­(0.3%)/LiGdF4 core/shell (C/S) UCNPs show small sizes ranging from 8.6 to 13.2 nm. Notably, 11.4 nm-sized C/S UCNPs show bright red light. Furthermore, LiErF4:Tm-based core/triple-shell (C/T-S) UCNPs are synthesized, and they show dramatic enhancement of red UCL (∼4242-fold enhancement compared with the core under 980 nm excitation and ∼89-fold and ∼14-fold enhancement compared with the C/S UCNPs under 800 and 1532 nm excitation, respectively). Besides UCL enhancement, Nd3+ ions doped in the LiErF4:Tm-based C/T-S UCNPs generate heat under 800 nm irradiation, allowing the C/T-S UCNPs to be applied as photothermal therapeutic agents. The ultrasmall (<20 nm) and bright red-emitting LiErF4:Tm-based C/T-S UCNPs have the potential for simultaneous imaging and photothermal therapeutic applications.