Modulating the Afterglow Time of Mn Doped Metal Halides and Applications in Advanced Optical Information Encryption.

Mn doped metal halide that can be grown by a facile solution reaction is a promising low-cost afterglow material. However, the afterglow mechanism is still elusive. Using a facile method to modulate afterglow time is still to be explored.

Engineering Photo-Functionalities of OrganicInorganic Hybrid Metal Halides Toward Repeatable Optical Writing/Erasing and Multilevel Information Encryption.

Organic-inorganic hybrid halides (OIHH) have garnered considerable attention as promising photo-functional materials. Nevertheless, the rational design of OIHH with tailored optical properties remains a formidable challenge. Herein, the synthesis of Sb-doped (benzamidine)InCl(HO) crystals exhibiting intense visible-light emission is reported.

Acceleration of Carrier Transport in an Individual Microplate of Mixed-Halide Perovskite after Phase Segregation.

The band gap energy of lead mixed bromide-iodide perovskite can be simply tuned by adjusting the ratio between the composing halide anions, which would be segregated again upon continuous light illumination to form the iodide-rich domains. Here, we have employed transient absorption microscopy to investigate the carrier diffusion dynamics in an individual CsPbBrI microplate under the influence of such iodide-rich domains. As expected in the phase-segregated microplate, the lifetime of charge carriers is shortened owing to their migration into the iodide-rich domains with a low band gap energy.

Harnessing Atomic-Scale Thinning in Two-Dimensional Organic Molecular Crystals for In-Situ Characterization and Superior Optoelectronics.

Two-dimensional organic single crystals (2D OSCs) offer high crystallinity and quantum limit properties, making them ideal for exploring unique quantum phases and developing scaled optoelectronic devices. However, accurately probing the structure-optoelectronic relationship in 2D OSCs remains challenging. Here we realize in situ optoelectronic characterization of 2D OSCs through an atomically precise thinning technique.

Engineering Highly Emissive Tetra(t-Butyl)rubrene/off-Stoichiometry Thiol-Ene Hybrids Toward Flexible Luminescent Solar Concentrator-Integrated Photovoltaics with Excellent Stability.

Luminescent solar concentrators (LSCs) are highly valued in transparent photovoltaics for their versatility and adaptability as effective large-area sunlight collectors. However, constructing LSCs as efficient, long-term stable, and easily malleable power-generating units still remains a challenge. Herein, high photostability, high photoluminescence quantum yield ( ), and Stokes-shifted emission are achieved in tetra(t-butyl)rubrene/off-stoichiometry thiol-ene (TBRb/OSTE) hybrids by incorporating TBRb molecules into OSTE polymers.

Highly sensitive temperature sensors based on the fluorescence intensity ratio of dual-emissive lead-free metal halides.

Given that optical thermometers are widely used due to their unique advantages, this study aims to address critical challenges in existing technologies, such as insufficient sensitivity, limited temperature measurement ranges, and poor signal recognition capabilities. Herein, we develop a thermometer based on the fluorescence intensity ratio (FIR) of Sb-doped CsNaInCl (CsNaInCl:Sb). As the temperature increases from 203 to 323 K, the thermally induced transition from triplet to singlet self-trapped excitons (STEs) leads to enhanced 455 nm photoluminescence (PL) from singlet STE recombination.

Recent Developments in Photofunctional Nanomaterials and Nanostructures for Emitting, Manipulating, and Harvesting Light.

Photofunctional nanomaterials and nanostructures that can emit, manipulate, convert, and utilize photons in diverse forms have profound meanings, from fundamental understandings to applications [...

Exploiting the Bragg Mirror Effect of TiO Nanotube Photonic Crystals for Promoting Photoelectrochemical Water Splitting.

Exploiting the Bragg mirror effect of photonic crystal photoelectrode is desperately desired for photoelectrochemical water splitting. Herein, a novel TiO nanotube photonic crystal bi-layer structure consisting of a top nanotube layer and a bottom nanotube photonic crystal layer is presented. In this architecture, the photonic bandgap of bottom TiO nanotube photonic crystals can be precisely adjusted by modulating the anodization parameters.

Solar-Driven Harvesting of Freshwater and Electricity Based on Three-Dimensional Hierarchical CuO@Cu Foam.

The integration of solar steam generation and the hydrovoltaic effect is a promising strategy for simultaneously solving water scarcity and energy crises. However, it is still a challenge to attain a high water evaporation rate and a strong output of electricity in a single device. Here, we report a three-dimensional (3D) hierarchical CuO@Cu foam for solar-driven harvesting of freshwater and electricity efficiently.

Enhanced Capability of Hydrogen Evolution Photocathode by Laminated Interface Engineering of Co/MoS QDs/pyramid-black Si.

We present a novel and stable laminated structure to enhance the performance and stability of silicon (Si) photocathode devices for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water splitting. First, by utilizing Cu nanoparticle catalysts to work on a np-black Si substrate via the metal-assisted chemical etching, we can achieve the black silicon with a porous pyramid structure. The low depth holes on the surface of the pyramid caused by Cu etching not only help enhance the light capture capability with quite low surface reflectivity (<5%) but also efficiently protect the p-n junction from damage.

Perovskite Quantum Heterostructure Constructed by Halide Mixing between a Single CsPbI Nanocrystal and an Individual CsPbBr Microplate.

Ion migration is significantly enhanced in lead-halide perovskites with a soft crystal lattice, which can promote the formation of a heterogeneous interface between two such materials with different halide-anion compositions. Here we have deposited a single CsPbI nanocrystal (NC) on top of an individual CsPbBr microplate to create a mixed-halide CsPbBrI (0 < < 3) NC by means of the anion exchange process. The formation of a CsPbBrI/CsPbBr heterostructure is confirmed by the much-enlarged geometric volume of the CsPbBrI NC as compared to the original CsPbI one, as well as by its capability of receiving photogenerated excitons from the CsPbBr microplate with a larger bandgap energy.

Visible-ultraviolet dual-band photodetectors based on an all-inorganic CsPbCl/p-GaN heterostructure.

All-inorganic metal halide perovskites (MHPs) have attracted increasing attention because of their high thermal stability and band gap tunability. Among them, CsPbCl is considered a promising semiconductor material for visible-ultraviolet dual-band photodetectors because of its excellent photoelectric properties and suitable band gap value. In this work, we fabricated a visible-ultraviolet dual-band photodetector based on a CsPbCl/p-GaN heterojunction using the spin coating method.

Research Progress on Rashba Effect in Two-Dimensional Organic-Inorganic Hybrid Lead Halide Perovskites.

The Rashba effect appears in the semiconductors with an inversion-asymmetric structure and strong spin-orbit coupling, which splits the spin-degenerated band into two sub-bands with opposite spin states. The Rashba effect can not only be used to regulate carrier relaxations, thereby improving the performance of photoelectric devices, but also used to expand the applications of semiconductors in spintronics. In this mini-review, recent research progress on the Rashba effect of two-dimensional (2D) organic-inorganic hybrid perovskites is summarized.

Advanced Optical Information Encryption Enabled by Polychromatic and Stimuli-Responsive Luminescence of Sb-Doped Double Perovskites.

The smart materials with multi-color and stimuli-responsive luminescence are very promising for next generation of optical information encryption and anti-counterfeiting, but these materials are still scarce. Herein, a multi-level information encryption strategy is developed based on the polychromatic emission of Sb-doped double perovskite powders (SDPPs). CsNaInCl:Sb, CsKInCl:Sb, and CsAgInCl:Sb synthesized through coprecipitation methods exhibit broadband emissions with bright blue, cyan, and orange colors, respectively.

Room-Temperature High-Performance Photodetector and Phototransistor Based on PdSe/ZnInS Alloy Heterojunctions.

Various semiconductor devices have been developed based on 2D heterojunction materials owing to their distinctive optoelectronic properties. However, to achieve efficient charge transfer at their interface remains a major challenge. Herein, an alloy heterojunction concept is proposed.

Monolithic 2D Perovskites Enabled Artificial Photonic Synapses for Neuromorphic Vision Sensors.

Neuromorphic visual sensors (NVS) based on photonic synapses hold a significant promise to emulate the human visual system. However, current photonic synapses rely on exquisite engineering of the complex heterogeneous interface to realize learning and memory functions, resulting in high fabrication cost, reduced reliability, high energy consumption and uncompact architecture, severely limiting the up-scaled manufacture, and on-chip integration. Here a photo-memory fundamental based on ion-exciton coupling is innovated to simplify synaptic structure and minimize energy consumption.

Ultrasensitive Detection of Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 Activity Using a Ratiometric Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering Nanosensor with a Core-Satellite Structure.

Matrix metalloproteinase 2 (MMP-2) has been considered a promising molecular biomarker for cancer diagnosis due to its related dysregulation. In this work, a core-satellite structure-powered ratiometric surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) nanosensor with high sensitivity and specificity to MMP-2 was developed. The SERS nanosensor was composed of a magnetic bead encapsulated within a 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB)-labeled gold shell as the capture core and a 4-mercaptobenzonitrile (MBN)-encoded silver nanoparticle as the signal satellite, which were connected through a peptide substrate of MMP-2.

Co-multiplexing spectral and temporal dimensions based on luminescent materials.

Optical multiplexing is a pivotal technique for augmenting the capacity of optical data storage (ODS) and increasing the security of anti-counterfeiting. However, due to the dearth of appropriate storage media, optical multiplexing is generally restricted to a single dimension, thus curtailing the encoding capacity. Herein, the co-multiplexing spectral and temporal dimensions are proposed for optical encoding based on photoluminescence (PL) and persistent-luminescence (PersL) at four different wavelengths.

Bioinspired hierarchical colloidal crystal paper with Janus wettability for oil/water separation and heavy metal ion removal.

Increasing attention has been paid recently to superwettability and its prospective potential applications in various fields. A new approach towards the establishment of flexible, self-assembled superhydrophobic surfaces with self-reported wettability on a variety of substrates has been advanced. The approach involves the fabrication of a dense monolayer of photonic crystal films that possess a layered structure with superior adhesion at the liquid-gas-solid interface.

Construction of PdSe/ZnInS heterojunctions with covalent interface for highly efficient photocatalytic hydrogen evolution.

Constructing semiconductor heterojunctions can enable novel schemes for highly efficient photocatalytic activity. However, introducing strong covalent bonding at the interface remains an open challenge. Herein, ZnInS (ZIS) with abundant sulfur vacancies (Sv) is synthesized with the presence of PdSe as an additional precursor.

Recent Developments in Photoluminescent, Photothermal and Photocatalytic Nanomaterials.

Photoactive nanomaterials exhibit myriad customized properties, including a photon converting ability, specific surface area, physicochemical stability, and chemical reactivity, making them appealing for a wide range of practical applications [...

Two-dimensional lateral anatase-rutile TiO phase junctions with oxygen vacancies for robust photoelectrochemical water splitting.

Exploiting the photoelectrode materials with broad solar light response, high-efficient separation of photogenerated charges and abundant active sites is extremely vital yet enormously challenging. Herein, an innovative two-dimensional (2D) lateral anatase-rutile TiO phase junctions with controllable oxygen vacancies perpendicularly aligned on Ti mesh is presented. Our experimental observations and theoretical calculations corroborate explicitly that the 2D lateral phase junctions together with three-dimensional arrays not only exhibit the high-efficient photogenerated charges separation guaranteed by the build-in electric field at the side-to-side interface, but also furnish enriching active sites.