Rare Earth-based hybrid metal halide scintillators have attracted considerable attention, owing to their lead-free nature, strong x-ray absorption, solution processability, and tunable optoelectronic properties. Nevertheless, their development has been hindered by insufficient exciton utilization, which leads to limited light yield. Herein, we report efficient single-crystal scintillators with the composition RE(DMSO)8[Bi1- xSbxCl6], achieved through the antimony-assisted triplet exciton-harvesting strategy. In addition to direct x-ray excitation of RE3+ ions, the generated triplet excitons further sensitize RE3+ emitters through energy transfer, establishing a dual-channel excitation pathway that markedly enhances the overall radioluminescence (RL) of RE3+. By optimizing Sb concentration, we achieved a 2.06-fold increase in RL intensity for Tb-based systems and a 1.33-fold enhancement for Eu-based systems. The resulting scintillators exhibit a high light yield of 19022 photons/MeV, ultralow detection limits of 124 nGy/s, and robust radiation resistance. Centimeter-scale single crystals grown for x-ray imaging demonstrated a high spatial resolution of 15.7 lp/mm. Moreover, color-tunable radioluminescence realized by adjusting the Tb/Eu ratio highlights their potential for color-visualized radiation detection.

Efficient broadband green-emitting phosphors are essential for human-centric healthy lighting. Herein, an ultra-broadband green-emitting phosphor, K2ZnSi3O8:Eu2+, was synthesized by high temperature solid-state reaction method for high-quality white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs). Under ultraviolet excitation, the phosphor exhibits a broad emission band spanning from 400 to 750 nm, peaking at 505 nm with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 111.8 nm, which originates from the multi-site occupation of Eu2+ ions. Moreover, structural engineering via Mg2+ substitution for Zn2+ effectively enhances the material's performance. K2Zn0.99Mg0.01Si3O8:Eu2+, shows a 120% increase in emission intensity and improved thermal stability. Finally, a warm WLED fabricated this phosphor with a commercial red phosphor exhibits excellent color rendering index (Ra = 94.2) and a warm correlated color temperature (CCT) of 3552 K, demonstrating its promising application in high-quality healthy solid-state lighting.

This work presents a ligand-assisted in situ synthesis strategy for preparing highly stable and flexible CsPbBr3-polyimide (PI) composite films. Oleic acid (OA) and oleylamine (OAm) were introduced as co-ligands during the one-pot fabrication process, where the crystallization of CsPbBr3 nanocrystals (Pe-NCs) and the polymerization of PI occur simultaneously. This approach significantly enhances the surface passivation of the CsPbBr3 Pe-NCs, leading to improved photoluminescence (PL) properties and stability. The optimized CsPbBr3@PI+OA/OAm film exhibits a narrow green emission at 530 nm. It demonstrates remarkable long-term stability, maintaining its PL intensity virtually unchanged after 300 days in air and retaining over 90% after 110 days in water. The film also shows excellent thermal, photo, acid/base, and mechanical stability, maintaining uniform emission under bending and stretching. Additionally, ICP analysis confirmed the efficacy of PI matrix in inhibiting the leakage of Pb2+ ions. A white light-emitting diode (WLED) fabricated with this film exhibits a wide color gamut, highlighting its promising potential for applications in flexible liquid crystal display (LCD) backlight.

Self-reducing phosphors have gained significant interest in solid-state luminescence research, owing to their self-adjusting optical properties and the avoidance of reducing atmospheres during synthesis. The Preferential Occupancy Site Theory (POST) offers a powerful framework for predicting dopant occupation and valence states in inorganic host materials. In this work, we utilize POST to predict and experimentally validate the self-reduction of Sb5+ -> Sb3+ in the Sr2P2O7 lattice. Sb-doped Sr2P2O7 phosphors were synthesized via a high-temperature solid-state reaction in an air atmosphere using Sb2O5 as the dopant source. Comprehensive characterization-including X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy-consistently confirmed efficient self-reduction from Sb5+ -> Sb3+, yielding intense blue-green emission centered at 489 nm. The mechanism was systematically elucidated through charge compensation models, establishing POST as a generalizable strategy for designing self-reducing phosphors with multivalent ions. Our results demonstrate that POST effectively predicts self-reduction behavior, providing a powerful theoretical framework for the rational design of novel luminescent materials while reducing the reliance on conventional trial-and-error methods.

Lead-free halide double perovskites have attracted significant attention owing to their eco-friendliness, structural tunability, and self-trapped exciton emission. Nevertheless, achieving efficient and stable near-infrared-II (NIR-II) luminescence, especially in materials incorporating lanthanide ions, remains a considerable challenge in photonics research. Herein, we report a notable advance in the design and synthesis of Sb3+-sensitized Cs2NaLuCl6:Er3+ double perovskite single crystals, which exhibit an unprecedented external quantum efficiency of 45.3% for emission at 1542 nm. Sb3+ acts as a broadband ultraviolet absorber and transfers energy to Er3+ via self-trapped exciton emission. Moreover, at high concentrations of Er3+, Er3+-Er3+ cross relaxation (H-2(11/2) + I-4(15/2) -> I-4(9/2) + I-4(13/2)) selectively populates the NIR-emitting I-4(13/2) state, suppressing competitive visible emission pathways. This synergistic host-sensitizer-activator design strategy, supported by density functional theory calculations, addresses long-standing efficiency limitations and opens new avenues for high-performance NIR-II emitters in bioimaging, night vision, and optical communications.

Lead-free halide double perovskites have attracted significant attention owing to their eco-friendliness, structural tunability, and self-trapped exciton emission. Nevertheless, achieving efficient and stable near-infrared-II (NIR-II) luminescence, especially in materials incorporating lanthanide ions, remains a considerable challenge in photonics research. Herein, we report a notable advance in the design and synthesis of Sb3+-sensitized Cs2NaLuCl6:Er3+ double perovskite single crystals, which exhibit an unprecedented external quantum efficiency of 45.3

Photochromic luminescent materials have emerged as a pivotal approach for optical information storage. However, most reported photochromic systems rely on limited readout modes, low coloration contrast, and poorly understood defect-property correlations. Here, a chlorine-doped ZnS was developed through an anion-doping strategy using a molten salt shielding synthesis, integrating reversible photochromism (76.6% color contrast), excitation-dependent emission modulation (460-520 nm), persistent luminescence (PersL), and dynamic luminescence intensity modulation (96.8% intensity contrast). The distinct excitation energy thresholds, temporal duration, and de-excitation pathways of these optical phenomena suggest their origins in different defect species. Furthermore, by regulating the excitation energy (energy threshold 3.60 eV), different defect centers can be selectively activated, enabling multi-trap coupling and photochromism-mediated modulation of both photoluminescence (PL) and PersL. Leveraging the high color contrast and synergistic modulation mechanism, we developed a multilevel optical information encryption technology and preliminarily established the structure-property relationship between defects and optical responses. This work provides new perspectives for tailoring optical properties via defect engineering and advancing optical storage systems.

Recently, Mo-based and Mo-doped near-infrared (NIR)emitting perovskites have faced significant controversy regarding the oxidation state of Mo, chemical composition, and luminescence mechanism. The uncontrollable oxidation state of Mo ions during synthesis has severely limited the tunability of emission performance. Here, a novel strategy is demonstrated to modulate the oxidation states of Mo (Mo4+/Mo5+/Mo6+) in zero-dimensional (0D) Cs2SnCl6 perovskite by controlling the SnCl2/SnCl4 precursor. The resulting doped materials exhibit diverse and tunable emission properties. Specifically, the Mo5+-Mo6+ co-doped Cs2Sn(OxCl6-x) shows bright emission in the 450-750 nm and 800-1200 nm ranges with a high internal quantum efficiency (IQE) up to 58.4%, whereas the Mo4+-doped Cs2SnCl6 exhibits dual NIR emission bands at 700-800 nm and 1200-1600 nm. Moreover, by incorporating multiple Mo valence states into a single matrix via post-annealing or mixed precursors, an ultra-broadband NIR phosphor is successfully produced covering 700 to 1600 nm with a large full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) of approximate to 520 nm. These novel phosphors demonstrate excellent stability, making them promising for applications in night vision and information encryption. The findings offer new insights into valence-state-controlled luminescence in halide perovskites and open pathways for designing high-performance ultra-broadband NIR emitters for advanced optoelectronic applications.

The increasing demand for more efficient and stable scintillators in X-ray imaging applications has spurred extensive research on lead-halide perovskites, particularly Cs-Pb-Br systems. Encapsulating 3D CsPbBr3 in 0D Cs4PbBr6 matrices represents a promising strategy for enhancing luminescence efficiency. However, persistent lead toxicity impedes clinical and industrial translation, while complex exciton dynamics in these heterostructures complicate scintillation optimization. Here, we develop a liquid-solid interface cation exchange (LSICE) strategy to synthesize Zn-alloyed Cs4PbBr6/CsPbBr3 (0D/3D) heterostructures, achieving an enhanced scintillation performance with concurrent lead reduction of 60 %. Unmodified 0D/3D perovskites exhibit abundant paramagnetic Pb (III) defect states, which act as hole-trapping centers, impairing energy transfer from the 0D to 3D phase and causing delayed fluorescence, severe nonradiative recombination, persistent afterglow, and a low scintillation yield of 7423 photons/MeV. In contrast, Zn-alloyed 0D/3D perovskites substantially suppress Pb (III) defects, enabling efficient energy transfer, low afterglow emission, and accelerated excitonic radiative recombination. The optimized scintillator exhibits exceptional performance metrics, achieving a light yield of 13,326 photons/MeV, a spatial resolution of 10.3 lp/mm, and an ultra-low radiation detection limit of 22 nGyair/s. This work addresses the toxicity-performance trade-off in perovskites and establishes B-site alloying as a universal paradigm for designing eco-friendly, high-efficiency radiation detectors.

ABSTRACT Cs 2 AgInCl 6 ‐based double perovskites have recently attracted attention due to their direct electronic band gap and have been identified as promising candidates for a wide range of device applications. Various doping methods applied to this material, including doping with Bi along with precise adjustments of its composition, have resulted in enhanced luminescence. In this work, results of high‐pressure studies of structural, vibrational, and luminescent properties of Cs 2 Na 0.6 Ag 0.4 InCl 6 :Bi 3+ are reported. High‐pressure X‐ray diffraction and Raman spectra consistently reveal a reversible structural phase transition from a cubic to a tetragonal structure at a pressure of about 11.5 GPa. High‐pressure photoluminescence results (PL) are consistent with recombination of a defect‐bound exciton. It is suggested that the defect is related to bismuth. This luminescence is strongly quenched above 3.5 GPa. A possible mechanism based on level crossing of the exciton ground state and the valence band maximum is discussed, which is qualitatively consistent with the observed pressure‐dependent PL quenching and the calculated host‐band evolution.

Highly thermotolerant and photostable luminescent ceramics are attracting great attention as promising luminescent materials for laser-driven lighting. Herein we report high-performance (Y1-xCex)3Al5O12 ceramics synthesized by spark plasma sintering (SPS). Owing to the advantages of the regular grain particles and clear grain boundaries of ceramic with cubic garnet structure, the SPS-prepared (Y0.95Ce0.05)3Al5O12 ceramic shows high quantum efficiency with IQE of 98.17% and EQE of 70.42%. It also exhibits excellent luminescence thermal stability and the as-synthesized ceramic maintains 95.11% of integral PL intensity at 423 K compared to that at room temperature. Moreover, the (Y0.95Ce0.05)3Al5O12 ceramic can withstand a high laser power density of 21 W/mm2 and emits high-brightness white lighting with a luminous efficiency of 219.39 lm/W. With excellent optical performance, the fabricated (Y0.95Ce0.05)3Al5O12 ceramic can be widely applied as a reliable color converter material for high-power laser-driven lighting. (c) 2025 Chinese Society of Rare Earths. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

Single-host white light-emitting phosphors have been one of the research hotspots in the field of white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) in recent years. Herein, white light emission is realized in Sr8ZnSc(PO4)7:Eu2+ phosphor by using the defect engineering strategy, i.e. the heterovalent substitution of Sc3+ with Hf4+. Based on the charge compensation mechanism of the substitution, electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) analysis confirms a positive correlation between cation vacancy concentration and dopant content. Photoluminescence spectra indicates that there are two different emissions at 408 and 520 nm in the phosphor. Under 335 nm excitation, the SZSP:0.02Eu2+,0.03Hf4+ exhibits cold white light emission with CIE coordinates (0.2992, 0.3214) and an enhanced color rendering index (Ra = 80.02), showing superior performance compared to commercial YAG:Ce3+ phosphor. This work not only elucidates the critical role of Hf4+ dopants in defect engineering but also establishes a novel material for developing high-efficiency phosphors with tunable color temperature for WLED applications.

To address the critical challenge of suppressing glass-phosphor interface reactions in high-melting-point phosphor-in-glass (PiG) for high-power laser illumination, this study fabricates a Y3Al5O12:Ce3+ (YAG:Ce) phosphor-in-silica glass (YAG:Ce-PiSG) with high quantum efficiency and stability by regulating alkali metal oxides. Incorporation of Cs2O notably inhibits SiO2-YAG:Ce reactions, maintaining the PiSG’s internal quantum efficiency (IQE) at 97.7

We report a novel LiLu(WO4)2:Bi3+ phosphor exhibiting blue radioluminescence and X-ray-induced yellow persistent luminescence, which is combined with LiLu(WO4)2 to design an "optically safe" device for high-security information encryption.

Alkali metal batteries (AMBs) have emerged as promising candidates for next-generation high-energy-density energy storage systems due to their high theoretical specific capacity and high output voltage. However, further application of AMBs is hindered by severe dendritic growth and large volume expansion of alkali metal anodes (AMAs) during cycling, as well as their unstable interphases. In this context, carbon dot-based nanomaterials (CDNMs), with their superior specific surface area, tunable heteroatom doping, and abundant surface functional groups, have been extensively investigated to stabilize AMAs, demonstrating remarkable potential in addressing aforementioned issues. Considering the rapidly growing research enthusiasm in this topic in recent years, here, we comprehensively summarize recent progress in application of CDNMs in stable and dendrite-free AMAs. First, the critical challenges of alkali metal anodes and the corresponding modification strategies in alkali metal batteries are discussed. Furthermore, the structure and properties of carbon dots (CDs) are introduced, as well as the advantages, disadvantages, and research progress of various CDs preparation methods are summarized from both the top-down and bottom-up perspectives. In addition, the relationship between fabrication methods, micro/nanostructure, and electrochemical performance are systematically summarized and discussed. Finally, in light of the current research status, the challenges and opportunities of the application of CDNMs in AMBs are proposed.

The therapeutic efficacy against tumors heavily relies on the accumulation and retention of nanomaterials at tumor sites. Here, we developed two acidic pH-responsive protonated PCL-PAE-DBCO and PCL-PAE-N3 polymers and synthesized an aggregation-induced emission (AIE) photosensitizer (named TETCN). By using the nano-precipitation method, we prepared PPP-DBCO and PPP-N3 nanoparticles (NPs) by encapsulating TETCN with PCL-PEG and PCL-PAE, which was modified with dibenzocyclooctyne (DBCO) or azide (N3) groups. When PPP-DBCO and PPP-N3 were mixed, PAE deprotonation at pH 7.4 pulled the bioorthogonal groups inside the NPs to prevent them from crosslinking. But, at pH 6.5, PAE pushed the bioorthogonal groups onto the surface of NPs due to protonation, resulting in bioorthogonal crosslinking of PPP-DBCO and PPP-N3. The in vivo results showed that the co-injection of PPP-DBCO and PPP-N3 significantly enhanced enrichment and retention at the tumor site and showed an enhanced photodynamic therapy (PDT) effect compared to PPP-DBCO or PPP-N3 alone. Therefore, the pH-responsive covalent crosslinking strategy based on AIE NPs proposed in this study may enrich related carrier materials and tumor treatment strategies.

Near-ultraviolet (n-UV) excited white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) require high-performance blue phosphors to achieve full-spectrum warm white emission with high color rendering index (CRI) and low correlated color temperature (CCT) in health lighting. Eu2+-activated Na3RbMg7(PO4)6 is a candidate blue luminescent material. However, its emission efficiency is limited by the incomplete reduction of Eu3+ to Eu2+. To overcome this limitation, a Li+ co-adding strategy was employed to design the Na3RbMg7(PO4)6:Eu2+,Li+ material, aiming to enhance its luminescent properties by regulating the lattice environment. As a result, the optimized phosphor exhibits a 3.8-fold enhancement in emission intensity, accompanied by a remarkable increase in internal quantum efficiency (IQE) from 17.1% to 83.6%. Comprehensive structural and spectroscopic analyses reveal that Li+ incorporation induces preferential Eu2+ occupation at Rb-related sites and promotes Eu3+→Eu2+ reduction, accompanied by suppressed defect formation. These effects lead to enhanced blue emission under n-UV excitation, demonstrating that Li+ co-addition is an effective approach for regulating defect states and luminescence behavior in phosphate-based phosphors, providing insight into the design of efficient blue emitters for n-UV excitation.

Accurately predicting and analyzing the structure-property relationship in rare-earth/transition-metal-doped inorganic luminescent materials is crucial for understanding their luminescence mechanisms and designing novel materials. However, a universal quantitative model correlating their spectral information with the host crystal structure is currently lacking. This study systematically analyzes Bi2+-activated luminescent materials based on the complex crystal chemical bond dielectric theory, calculating the coordination number(N), bond covalency(fc(i)), bond polarizability(alpha(i)) and effective charge(Q(i)) for each chemical bond, and constructs a novel environmental factor (he). Utilizing experimental spectral data from nearly twenty compounds with single-site Bi2+ doping, we successfully established a quantitative structure-property relationship model between the Cband energy (Ec) of Bi2+ and (Ec=3.976 +2.323*exp(-he/0.335)), and derived a direct correlation formula between Ecand the EA energy level (Ec=3.97 +0.87(EA-1.066)5.09). This not only provides a reliable theoretical design and spectral prediction tool for Bi2+ luminescent materials but also effectively distinguishes Bi2+ from Bi3+ activation centers. More importantly, it offers strong theoretical support for resolving challenges in spectral assignment and valence state confirmation in complex doping systems.

Bi 3+ singly doped LLWO phosphors were successfully synthesized and characterized. LLWO:Bi 3+ phosphors exhibited blue radioluminescence under X-ray irradiation, followed by persistent yellow luminescence after the X-ray source was removed.

This study presents a novel lanthanide luminescent material featuring a synergistic sensitization system composed of (1-glucan, 4,4,4-trifluoro-1-(thiophen-2-yl) butane-1,3-dione (tta), and 1,10-phenanthroline (phen), which efficiently enhances and modulates the luminescence of Eu3+. The resulting (1-glucan-induced Eu3+ coordination complex exhibits specific luminescent responses toward Fe3+ and Fe2+, with detection limits (LOD = 36/KSV) of 1.44 mu mol L-1 and 1.05 mu mol L-1, respectively. The luminescence quenching mechanism was attributed to static quenching, accompanied by the inner filter effect. Notably, luminescence quenched by Fe3+ is reversible upon the addition of EDTA, whereas no luminescence recovery is observed when EDTA is introduced subsequent to Fe2+-mediated quenching. Furthermore, the antibacterial activity and cytotoxicity of (1-glucaninduced Eu3+ coordination complex have been evaluated. The antibacterial zone experiments confirm that (1-glucan-induced Eu3+ coordination complex has good antibacterial effects on both Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli). (1-glucan exerts a pronounced effect on mitigating the toxicity of Eu3+ coordination complex. (1-glucan-induced Eu3+ coordination complex can form flexible luminescent films with carrageenan (CRG) or D4 hydrogel (D4), while retaining excellent luminescent properties, thereby holding significant potential for application in the detection of metal ions in environmental water samples.