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Comprehensive NIR-to-visible upconversion luminescence mechanism in Er3+-based materials is elucidated by wavelength-dependent, power-dependent, and time-resolved photoluminescence spectroscopy.

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We demonstrate a novel route to synthesize Fe3O4-CdSe/ZnS multifunctional nanoclusters (MNCs) with excellent optical and magnetic properties and biocompatibility. The successful fabrication of highly fluorescent and magnetic MNCs is achieved via a coupling process based on a partial ligand exchange reaction at the aqueous-organic solution interface. In addition, we show that dendritic cells (DCs), the sentinel of the immune system, can uptake the MNCs without significant change in cell viability. The MNCs uptaken by the DCs can be used for imaging, tracking, and separating the DCs. Furthermore, the MNCs can be loaded with a pathogen-associated molecular pattern, lipid A, via a hydrophobic-hydrophobic interaction. Ex vivo labeling of DCs with the MNC-lipid A complex enhances the DC migration to draining lymph nodes and tumor antigen-specific T cell responses in vivo. Our work may contribute to the development of synthetic routes to various multifunctional nanoclusters and DC-based cancer immunotherapies.

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Conventional organic glasses such as molecular and polymeric glasses either lack processability or have ill-defined properties. Here, a novel organic glass is reported having well-defined fluorescent properties and high compatibility with various fabrication processes. The fluorescent organic glass (FOG) is synthesized by simply heating benzyl alcohol with a small amount of aqueous sulfuric acid. Owing to its outstanding optical properties, FOG is placed beyond the domain of conventional organic glasses in the Abbe diagram. Moreover, excellent rheological properties render it amenable to molding, blowing, and nanopatterning processes. Finally, based on extensive characterization, it is proposed that a FOG is composed of a 1,2,3,4-tetraphenyl-1,3-butadiene core and poly(phenylene methylene) branches, which are responsible for molecular fluorescence and polymeric processability, respectively. The demonstration may contribute significantly to the development of organic glasses with unprecedented properties for various applications.

In article number https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201801394, Woong Kim and co‐workers report a fluorescent organic glass (FOG) having both well‐defined property of molecular glasses and the high processability of polymer glasses. The FOG has outstanding optical properties and is highly compatible with molding, blowing, and nanopatterning processes. This work suggests a novel strategy to produce organic glasses with unprecedented multifunctional properties.

The conversion of invisible ultraviolet (UV) light to visible light by downshifting (DS) materials has a variety of important applications in the fields of optoelectronics and photonics. The ability to control emission colors as a function of the wavelength of incident UV light would significantly advance scientific research and technological applications. A novel strategy for UV visualization is demonstrated that employs nanoimprint lithography combined with a sol-gel process. The principles of trichromacy of human vision are applied; three DS materials sensitive to three different ranges of UV light are nanopatterned to mimic the three types of cone cells in the human retina. Each DS material then emits a distinctive color that can be recognized by each type of cone cells for visualization. The nanopatterned structure significantly intensifies the light emission by Mie scattering and spatially separates the three DS materials, thereby minimizing unwanted optical interference among them. The deliberately designed triple-nanopatterned DS materials exhibit various emission colors ranging from green, to orange, to pink depending on the wavelength of the incident UV light. The current work would contribute to the development of novel strategies for multicolor tunable emission that may lead to innovative applications.