Cesium lead halide (CsPbX) perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) have demonstrated extremely excellent optical properties and great application potentials in various optoelectronic devices. However, because of the anion exchange, it is difficult to achieve white-light and multicolor emission for practical applications. Herein, we present the successful doping of various lanthanide ions (Ce, Sm, Eu, Tb, Dy, Er, and Yb) into the lattices of CsPbCl perovskite NCs through a modified hot-injection method. For the lanthanide ions doped perovskite NCs, high photoluminescence quantum yield (QY) and stable and widely tunable multicolor emissions spanning from visible to near-infrared (NIR) regions are successfully obtained. This work indicates that the doped perovskite NCs will inherit most of the unique optical properties of lanthanide ions and deliver them to the perovskite NC host, thus endowing the family of perovskite materials with excellent optical, electric, or magnetic properties.

Quantum cutting can realize the emission of multiple near-infrared photons for each ultraviolet/visible photon absorbed, and has potential to significantly improve the photoelectric conversion efficiency (PCE) of solar cells. However, due to the lack of an ideal downconversion material, it has merely served as a principle in the laboratory until now. Here, the fabrication of a novel type of quantum cutting material, CsPbCl Br :Yb , Ce nanocrystals is presented. Benefiting from the larger absorption cross-section, weaker electron-phonon coupling, and higher inner luminescent quantum yield (146%), the doped perovskite nanocrystals are successfully explored as a downconverter of commercial silicon solar cells (SSCs). Noticeably, the PCE of the SSCs is improved from 18.1% to 21.5%, with a relative enhancement of 18.8%. This work exhibits a cheap, convenient, and effective way to enhance the PCE of SSCs, which may be commercially popularized in the future.

Intracellular pH sensing is of importance and can be used as an indicator for monitoring the evolution of various diseases and the health of cells. Here, we developed a new class of surface-functionalized MXene quantum dots (QDs), TiC, by the sonication cutting and hydrothermal approach and further explored their intracellular pH sensing. The functionalized TiC QDs exhibit bright excitation-dependent blue photoluminescence (PL) originating from the size effect and surface defects. Meanwhile, TiC QDs demonstrate a high PL response induced by the deprotonation of the surface defects. Furthermore, combining the highly pH sensitive TiC QDs with the pH insensitive [Ru(dpp)]Cl, we developed a ratiometric pH sensor to quantitatively monitor the intracellular pH values. These novel MXene quantum dots can serve as a promising platform for developing practical fluorescent nanosensors.

Recently, various lanthanide ions (Ln 3+ ) have been successfully doped into perovskite quantum dots (PQDs), and the quantum-cutting emission of 2 F 5/2 − 2 F 7/2 for Yb 3+ with a measurable inner efficiency of more than 100% has been discovered and applied as the luminescent converter of solar cells, which has opened a new branch for the application of PQDs. In this work, to further improve the quantum-cutting efficiency of Yb 3+ , the codoping and tridoping methods were used to improve the quantum-cutting emission of PQDs. The Yb 3+ −Ln 3+ (Ln = Nd, Dy, Tb, Pr, Ce) pair-doped CsPbCl x Br y I 3−x−y PQDs were fabricated, with all displaying excitonic emission, narrowband emission of Ln 3+ ions, and quantum-cutting emission of Yb 3+ ions. It was interesting that Yb 3+ −Pr 3+ as well as Yb 3+ −Ce 3+ pairs could effectively sensitize the emission of Yb 3+ , owing to Pr 3+ and Ce 3+ ions offering intermediate energy states close to the exciton transition energy of the PQDs. After host composition optimization and tridoping investigation, overall emissions with a 173% photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) were obtained in the Yb 3+ −Pr 3+ −Ce 3+ -tridoped CsPbClBr 2 PQDs. Then, the tridoped PQDs were designed as the down-converter for CuIn 1−x Ga x Se 2 (CIGS) as well as the silicon solar cells, which leads to an enhancement of the power conversion efficiency (PCE) of as high as ∼20%. The modified CIGS was further employed to charge the smart mobile phone, which could largely shorten the charging time from 180 to 150 min. This finding is of great significant for expanding the application fields of the impurity-doped PQDs.

Colloidal perovskite nanocrystals (NCs), especially the fully inorganic cesium lead halide (CsPbX, X = Cl, Br, I) NCs, have been considered as promising candidates for lighting and display applications due to their narrow band emission, tunable band gap and high photoluminescence quantum yields (QYs). However, owing to the anion exchange in the CsPbX NCs, stable multi-color and white light emissions are difficult to achieve, thus limiting their practical optoelectronic applications. In this work, dual ion Bi/Mn codoped CsPbCl perovskite NCs were prepared through the hot injection method for the first time to the best of our knowledge. Through simply adjusting the doping ion concentrations, the codoped NCs exhibited tunable emissions spanning the wide range of correlated color temperature (CCT) from 19 000 K to 4250 K under UV excitation. This interesting spectroscopic behaviour benefits from efficient energy transfer from the perovskite NC host to the intrinsic energy levels of Bi or Mn doping ions. Finally, taking advantage of the cooperation between the excitonic transition of the CsPbCl perovskite NC host and the intrinsic emissions from Bi and Mn ions, white light emission with the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage (CIE) color coordinates of (0.33, 0.29) was developed in the codoped CsPbCl NCs.

The performance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) strongly depends on the electron transport layer (ETL), perovskite absorber, hole transport layer (HTL), and their interfaces. Herein, the first approach to utilize ultrathin 2D titanium‐carbide MXenes (Ti3C2Tx quantum dots, TQD) by engineering the perovskite/TiO2 ETL interface and perovskite absorber and introducing Cu1.8S nanocrystals to perfect the Spiro‐OMeTAD HTL is represented. A significant hysteresis‐free power conversion efficiency improvement from 18.31% to 21.64% of PSCs is achieved after modifications with the enhanced short‐circuit current density, open‐circuit voltages, and fill factor. Various advanced characterizations, including femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy, elucidate that the TQD/Cu1.8S significantly contribute to the improved crystalline quality of the perovskite film with its large grain size and improved electron/holes extraction efficiencies at perovskite/ETL and perovskite/HTL interfaces. Furthermore, the long‐time ambient and light stability of PSCs are largely boosted through the TQD and/or Cu1.8S nanocrystals doping, originating from the better crystallization of perovskite, suppressing the film aggregation and crystallization of HTL, and inhibiting the ultraviolet‐induced photocatalysis of the ETL. The findings highlight the TQD and Cu1.8S can act as a superfast electrons and holes tunnel for the optoelectronic devices.

Titanium and its alloys represent the gold standard for orthopaedic and dental prosthetic devices, because of their good mechanical properties and biocompatibility. Recent research has been focused on surface treatments designed to promote their rapid osteointegration also in case of poor bone quality. A new surface treatment has been investigated in this research work, in order to improve tissue integration of titanium based implants. The surface treatment is able to induce a bioactive behaviour, without the introduction of a coating, and preserving mechanical properties of Ti6Al4V substrates (fatigue resistance). The application of the proposed technique results in a complex surface topography, characterized by the combination of a micro-roughness and a nanotexture, which can be coupled with the conventional macro-roughness induced by blasting. Modified metallic surfaces are rich in hydroxyls groups: this feature is extremely important for inorganic bioactivity (in vitro and in vivo apatite precipitation) and also for further functionalization procedures (grafting of biomolecules). Modified Ti6Al4V induced hydroxyapatite precipitation after 15 days soaking in simulated body fluid (SBF). The process was optimised in order to not induce cracks or damages on the surface. The surface oxide layer presents high scratch resistance.

In recent years, significant advances have been achieved in the red and green perovskite quantum dot (PQD)-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs). However, the performances of the blue perovskite LEDs are still seriously lagging behind that of the green and red counterparts. Herein, we successfully developed Ni2+ ion-doped CsPbCl x Br3–x PQDs through the room-temperature supersaturated recrystallization synthetic approach. We simultaneously realized the doping of various concentrations of Ni2+ cations and modulated the Cl/Br element ratios by introducing different amounts of NiCl2 solution in the reaction medium. Using the synthetic method, not only the emission wavelength from 508 to 432 nm of Ni2+ ion-doped CsPbCl x Br3–x QDs was facially adjusted, but also the photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of PQDs was greatly improved due to efficient removal of the defects of the PQDs. Thus, the blue emission at 470 nm with PLQY of 89% was achieved in 2.5% Ni2+ ion-doped CsPbCl0.99Br2.01 QDs, which increased nearly three times over that of undoped CsPbClBr2 QDs and was the highest for the CsPbX3 PQDs with blue emission, fulfilling the National Television System Committee standards. Benefiting from the highly luminous Ni2+ ion-doped PQDs, the blue-emitting LED at 470 nm was obtained, exhibiting an external quantum efficiency of 2.4% and a maximum luminance of 612 cd/m2, which surpassed the best performance reported previously for the corresponding blue-emitting PQD-based LED.