Research Progress of Photoluminescent Materials

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Inorganic Crystalline Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 June 2025 | Viewed by 1380

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
College of Rare Earths, Jiangxi University of Science and Technology, Ganzhou 341000, China
Interests: luminescent materials; transparent glass–ceramics; functional glasses; phosphors; fluorescent ceramics; photoluminescence

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive review of the latest advancements in the field of photoluminescent materials, focusing on their synthesis, characterization, and application. Photoluminescent materials play a crucial role in a wide range of technologies, including optoelectronics, biomedical imaging, sensor systems, and sustainable energy solutions. This Special Issue highlights pioneering research on new materials such as organic semiconductors, quantum dots, perovskites, and two-dimensional materials, with an emphasis on enhancing photoluminescent properties like high quantum efficiency, tuneable emission spectra, and improved stability.

The scope of this Special Issue covers both the fundamental principles of photoluminescence and the practical challenges of integrating these materials into devices, such as light-emitting diodes (LEDs), displays, lasers, and biosensors. By consolidating the most recent research, this Special Issue seeks to provide valuable insights into the future direction of photoluminescent materials, underscoring their potential to drive the development of next-generation technologies across various fields.

Dr. Lei Han
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • photoluminescence
  • luminescent materials
  • optoelectronic devices
  • advanced photonic applications
  • optoelectronics and photonics

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

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12 pages, 2213 KiB  
Article
Controllable Functionalization of Carbon Dots as Selective and Sensitive Fluorescent Probes for Sensing Cu(II) Ions
by Xiaochun Zheng, Hao Zhang, Haoming Jiang, Lei Sun, Yuanze Sun, Qingcao Liu, Shoutian Ren, Yunpeng Zhuang and Xiaofeng Gong
Crystals 2025, 15(3), 205; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15030205 - 21 Feb 2025
Viewed by 487
Abstract
Carbon dots (CDs) are efficient fluorescent probes for metal ion detection due to their high sensitivity, nontoxicity and stability, but their rich functional groups lead to simultaneous responses to multiple ions. So, how to realize highly selective detection for specific ions is still [...] Read more.
Carbon dots (CDs) are efficient fluorescent probes for metal ion detection due to their high sensitivity, nontoxicity and stability, but their rich functional groups lead to simultaneous responses to multiple ions. So, how to realize highly selective detection for specific ions is still a challenging task. In this work, “bare CDs” were synthesized using the electrochemical stripping method, followed by grafting with hydroxyl and carboxyl groups following the hydrothermal method with boric acid. Transmission electron microscopy, an X-ray diffractometer, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, UV–visible spectrophotometers and a fluorescence spectrometer were used to characterize their morphology, surface functional groups and optical properties, respectively. The modified CDs exhibit a high sensitivity of 65% and selectivity towards Cu2+. Meanwhile, they also exhibited a short response time of less than 1 min and a good stability in terms of pH and ionic strength. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress of Photoluminescent Materials)
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Review

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35 pages, 4627 KiB  
Review
An Insight into Synthesis, Optical Properties, and Applications of Green Fluorescent Carbon Dots
by Sanjeev Kumar, Jyoti Gaur, Sandeep Kaushal, Jasvir Dalal, Mrinmoy Misra, Harpreet Kaur, Supreet Kaur, Navneet Kaur, Gautam Singh and Gurjinder Singh
Crystals 2025, 15(4), 320; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst15040320 - 28 Mar 2025
Viewed by 680
Abstract
In the ever-advancing field of nanotechnology and nanoscience, luminescent carbon dots, or carbon quantum dots, have emerged as one of the most up-and-coming carbon-based nanomaterials in recent years due to their diverse physicochemical properties, which include low toxicity, ease of synthesis, superior photostability, [...] Read more.
In the ever-advancing field of nanotechnology and nanoscience, luminescent carbon dots, or carbon quantum dots, have emerged as one of the most up-and-coming carbon-based nanomaterials in recent years due to their diverse physicochemical properties, which include low toxicity, ease of synthesis, superior photostability, excellent water solubility, high specific surface areas with ease of surface functionalization, and unique electronic and optical properties. They exhibit two-photon absorption and unique tunable fluorescence emission across a wide range of wavelengths, which can be precisely controlled by surface modifications and particle size. These characteristics have led to their widespread usage in a variety of applications, including optical/fluorescent sensing, electrochemical sensing, and energy-related fields, such as light-emitting diodes, photovoltaic supercapacitors, bioimaging, drug delivery, and antimicrobial research. Recently, focus has shifted to the green synthesis of carbon dots, with significant success achieved in this area, opening a plethora of opportunities in both basic and applied sciences. This review is a comprehensive study of milestones achieved in the area of green carbon dots. This review starts with the historical background of luminescent materials and how carbon dots/carbon quantum dots have been emerging as the stars among all luminescent nanomaterials. The challenges of conventional synthesis methods for nanoparticles are also discussed, with a detailed review of the various green synthesis processes reported to date. This section provides insights into widely accepted formation mechanisms and their influence on the shapes and sizes of CDs. In the next section, various physical properties of CDs are discussed, highlighting characteristics such as high quantum yield, photoluminescence stability, and chemical inertness, which make them exceptional nanomaterials. Last but not least, various CD-related challenges and future prospects are highlighted. Overall, this review provides details of recent developments in the area of green CDs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Research Progress of Photoluminescent Materials)
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