Impact of Lanthanide Nanomaterials on Photonic Devices and Smart Applications

Abstract

Half a century after its initial emergence, lanthanide photonics is facing a profound remodeling induced by the upsurge of nanomaterials. Lanthanide-doped nanomaterials hold promise for bioapplications and photonic devices because they ally the unmatched advantages of lanthanide photophysical properties with those arising from large surface-to-volume ratios and quantum confinement that are typical of nanoobjects. Cutting-edge technologies and devices have recently arisen from this association and are in turn promoting nanophotonic materials as essential tools for a deeper understanding of biological mechanisms and related medical diagnosis and therapy, and as crucial building blocks for next-generation photonic devices. Here, the recent progress in the development of nanomaterials, nanotechnologies, and nanodevices for clinical uses and commercial exploitation is reviewed. The candidate nanomaterials with mature synthesis protocols and compelling optical uniqueness are surveyed. The specific fields that are directly driven by lanthanide doped nanomaterials are emphasized, spanning from in vivo imaging and theranostics, micro-/nanoscopic techniques, point-of-care medical testing, forensic fingerprints detection, to micro-LED devices.

Lanthanide‐Based Thermometers: At the Cutting‐Edge of Luminescence Thermometry

“…Ln 3+ ‐based materials are stable and narrow band emitters covering the entire electromagnetic spectrum with, in general, high emission quantum yields (>50% in the visible) . In the last decade, many Ln 3+ ‐based thermometers have been reported covering a wide temperature range, from cryogenic ( T < 100 K) to physiological (298–323 K) values, and including chelate complexes, metal organic frameworks (MOFs), polymers, organic–inorganic hybrids, upconverting, downconverting, and downshifting nanoparticles (NPs), and multifunctional heater‐thermometer nanoplatforms .…”

Room‐Temperature Linear Light Upconversion in a Mononuclear Erbium Molecular Complex

“…[3] TheESA strategy and the closely related energy transfer upconversion mechanism (ETU), where absorption is performed by peripheral sensitizers priort ob eing transferred onto the erbium activator,are currently the subject of intenseoptimization in upconverting nanoparticles. [4] Thel argest reported quantum yields reach the 1-5 %range, which is compatible with innovative applications for imaging biological tissues through transparent biological optical windows, [5] and for enhancing solar cell efficiency via the collectiono fa dditional NIR photons thatare not accessible to silica-based technologies. [6] Despite the obvious advantages that the toolkit of molecular chemistry could bring to the design of these upconverting probes in terms of tuning,processability,and reproductibility, the implementation of upconversion in molecular complexes has been so far unambiguously evidencedonly for avery few number of sophisticated multi-center devices that exploit the indirect ETUm echanism (Scheme 2).…”

Broadband Cr3+, Sn4+‐Doped Oxide Nanophosphors for Infrared Mini Light‐Emitting Diodes

“…Important breakthroughs in recent years include the size improvement of mini‐LEDs and technological advances of micro‐LEDs . Mini‐ and micro‐LEDs are pushing the LED revolution to the next level …”

“…The size of micro‐LEDs is less than 100 μm, and they are self‐emitting for pixel level dimming to achieve thinner, lighter, brighter, higher‐resolution, and lower‐power displays . One recent micro‐LED processes is the microarray, which is set by three primary colors (red, green, blue).…”

“…The size of mini‐LEDs, which ranges from 100 μm to 200 μm, has been commercialized for the backlight sources of electronic devices . Decreasing the chip size, additional dimming cells can be attached to a constant dimension of LED backlight by mini‐LED technology.…”