Photon upconversion nanomaterials
Guest editors Xiaogang Liu, Chun-Hua Yan and John A. Capobianco introduce the Photon Upconversion Nanomaterials issue of Chemical Society Reviews.
Review Article
Probing the nature of upconversion nanocrystals: instrumentation matters
Understanding upconversion nanocrystals: this review intends to summarize instrumental matters related to the characterization of upconversion nanocrystals from surface structures to intrinsic properties to ultimate challenges in nanocrystal analysis at single-particle levels.
Light upconverting core–shell nanostructures: nanophotonic control for emerging applications
Nanophotonic control of light upconversion in the hierarchical core–shell nanostructures, their biomedical, solar energy and security encoding applications were reviewed.
Combinatorial approaches for developing upconverting nanomaterials: high-throughput screening, modeling, and applications
This review surveys the use of combinatorial and high-throughput techniques for the rapid discovery, optimization, and application of upconverting nanomaterials.
Advances in the theoretical understanding of photon upconversion in rare-earth activated nanophosphors
A comprehensive review of the theoretical background is provided for understanding photon upconversion with particular attention to assessing photoluminescence dynamics in rare-earth activated nanophosphors.
Energy transfer in lanthanide upconversion studies for extended optical applications
In this review, the various energy transfer pathways involved in lanthanide-related upconversion emissions are comprehensively discussed.
Stimuli responsive upconversion luminescence nanomaterials and films for various applications
This review highlights recent advances in upconversion luminescence materials in response to various stimuli for a broad spectrum of applications.
Upconverting nanoparticles: assessing the toxicity
Based on a survey of existing studies, low nanotoxicity of lanthanide doped upconverting nanoparticles holds promise for their safety and suitability for biomedical detection and imaging.
Review Article
Surface modification and characterization of photon-upconverting nanoparticles for bioanalytical applications
A well-defined surface architecture is essential to generate water-dispersible UCNPs that are long-term stable and enable a wealth of bioanalytical applications.
The biosafety of lanthanide upconversion nanomaterials
The association between the chemo-physical properties of UCNPs and their biodistribution, excretion, and toxic effects is presented in this review.
Lanthanide-doped upconversion nano-bioprobes: electronic structures, optical properties, and biodetection
The latest advances in lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles were comprehensively reviewed, which covers from their fundamental photophysics to biodetection.
Lab on upconversion nanoparticles: optical properties and applications engineering via designed nanostructure
This review aims to summarize recent progress in optical properties and applications engineering of upconversion nanoparticles via the designed nanostructure.
Current advances in lanthanide ion (Ln3+)-based upconversion nanomaterials for drug delivery
This review mainly focuses on the recent advances in various chemical syntheses of Ln3+-based upconversion nanomaterials, with special emphasis on their application in stimuli-response controlled drug release and subsequent therapy.
Upconversion nanoparticles as versatile light nanotransducers for photoactivation applications
Upconversion nanoparticles enable use of near infrared light for spatially and temporally controlled activation of therapeutic compounds in deeper tissues.
Excitation energy migration dynamics in upconversion nanomaterials
Excitation energy migration in a rare earth ions doped upconversion nanoparticle.
Photon upconversion in core–shell nanoparticles
This tutorial review highlights recent advances in the development of upconversion core–shell nanoparticles to cater for biological and energy applications.
Upconverting nanoparticles: a versatile platform for wide-field two-photon microscopy and multi-modal in vivo imaging
Upconverting nanoparticles (UCNPs) enable the establishment of a novel UCNP-based platform for wide-field two-photon microscopy and multimodal in vivo imaging.
About this collection
We are pleased to present a themed issue of Chemical Society Reviews which aims to focus on recent developments in photon upconversion nanomaterials over a broad range of disciplines. The issue is guest edited by Chunhua Yan (Peking University), John Capobianco (Concordia University) and Xiaogang Liu (National University of Singapore). New articles will be added to this collection as they are published.