Lipid analysis of human primary dermal fibroblasts and epidermal keratinocytes after near-infrared exposure using mass spectrometry imaging.

Photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy is the application of near-infrared (NIR) exposure to injuries or lesions to (among others) improve wound healing, reduce inflammation, and decreases acute and chronic pain. However, the understanding of the molecular mechanism of PBM, more specifically the effects of NIR on skin cells is still lacking behind. Lipids are essential components of cellular membranes that are integral to skin structure and function.

Ultra-Small YPO -YAG:Ce Composite Nanophosphors with a Photoluminescence Quantum Yield Exceeding 50.

Synthesis of high quality colloidal Cerium(III) doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Y Al O :Ce , "YAG:Ce") nanoparticles (NPs) meeting simultaneously both ultra-small size and high photoluminescence (PL) performance is challenging, as generally a particle size/PL trade-off has been observed for this type of nanomaterials. The glycothermal route is capable to yield ultra-fine crystalline colloidal YAG:Ce nanoparticles with a particle size as small as 10 nm but with quantum yield (QY) no more than 20%. In this paper, the first ultra-small YPO -YAG:Ce nanocomposite phosphor particles having an exceptional QY-to-size performance with an QY up to 53% while maintaining the particle size ≈10 nm is reported.

Effects of Near-Infrared Light on Well-Being and Health in Human Subjects with Mild Sleep-Related Complaints: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study.

Modern urban human activities are largely restricted to the indoors, deprived of direct sunlight containing visible and near-infrared (NIR) wavelengths at high irradiance levels. Therapeutic exposure to doses of red and NIR, known as photobiomodulation (PBM), has been effective for a broad range of conditions. In a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study, we aimed to assess the effects of a PBM home set-up on various aspects of well-being, health, sleep, and circadian rhythms in healthy human subjects with mild sleep complaints.

Saturation Mechanisms in Common LED Phosphors.

Commercial lighting for ambient and display applications is mostly based on blue light-emitting diodes (LEDs) combined with phosphor materials that convert some of the blue light into green, yellow, orange, and red. Not many phosphor materials can offer stable output under high incident light intensities for thousands of operating hours. Even the most promising LED phosphors saturate in high-power applications, that is, they show decreased light output.

Synthesis and Formation Mechanism of Colloidal Janus-Type CuS/CuInS Heteronanorods Seeded Injection.

Colloidal heteronanocrystals allow for the synergistic combination of properties of different materials. For example, spatial separation of the photogenerated electron and hole can be achieved by coupling different semiconductors with suitable band offsets in one single nanocrystal, which is beneficial for improving the efficiency of photocatalysts and photovoltaic devices. From this perspective, axially segmented semiconductor heteronanorods with a type-II band alignment are particularly attractive since they ensure the accessibility of both photogenerated charge carriers.

YAG:Ce Phosphor: From Micron-Sized Workhorse for General Lighting to a Bright Future on the Nanoscale.

The renowned yellow phosphor yttrium aluminum garnet (YAG) doped with trivalent cerium has found its way into applications in many forms: as powder of micron sized crystals, as a ceramic, and even as a single crystal. However, additional technological advancement requires providing this material in new form factors, especially in terms of particle size. Where many materials have been developed on the nanoscale with excellent optical properties (e.

Eu Sensitization via Nonradiative Interparticle Energy Transfer Using Inorganic Nanoparticles.

Phosphors have been used successfully for both research and commercial applications for decades. Eu-doped materials are especially promising, because of their extremely stable, efficient, and narrow red emission lines. Although these emission properties are ideal for lighting applications, weak absorption in the blue spectral range has until now prevented the use of Eu-based phosphors in applications based on blue light-emitting diodes.

Tailoring Cu for Ga Cation Exchange in CuS and CuInS Nanocrystals by Controlling the Ga Precursor Chemistry.

Nanoscale cation exchange (CE) has resulted in colloidal nanomaterials that are unattainable by direct synthesis methods. Aliovalent CE is complex and synthetically challenging because the exchange of an unequal number of host and guest cations is required to maintain charge balance. An approach to control aliovalent CE reactions is the use of a single reactant to both supply the guest cation and extract the host cation.

Optoelectronic Properties of Ternary I-III-VI Semiconductor Nanocrystals: Bright Prospects with Elusive Origins.

Colloidal nanocrystals of ternary I-III-VI semiconductors are emerging as promising alternatives to Cd- and Pb-chalcogenide nanocrystals because of their inherently lower toxicity, while still offering widely tunable photoluminescence. These properties make them promising materials for a variety of applications. However, the realization of their full potential has been hindered by both their underdeveloped synthesis and the poor understanding of their optoelectronic properties, whose origins are still under intense debate.

Formation of Colloidal Copper Indium Sulfide Nanosheets by Two-Dimensional Self-Organization.

Colloidal 2D semiconductor nanosheets (NSs) are an interesting new class of materials due to their unique properties. However, synthesis of these NSs is challenging, and synthesis procedures for materials other than the well-known Pb- and Cd-chalcogenides are still underdeveloped. In this paper, we present a new approach to make copper indium sulfide (CIS) NSs and study their structural and optical properties.

Anisotropic 2D Cu Se Nanocrystals from Dodecaneselenol and Their Conversion to CdSe and CuInSe Nanoparticles.

We present the synthesis of colloidal anisotropic Cu Se nanocrystals (NCs) with excellent size and shape control, using the unexplored phosphine-free selenium precursor 1-dodecaneselenol (DDSe). This precursor forms lamellar complexes with Cu(I) that enable tailoring the NC morphology from 0D polyhedral to highly anisotropic 2D shapes. The Cu Se NCs are subsequently used as templates in postsynthetic cation exchange reactions, through which they are successfully converted to CdSe and CuInSe quantum dots, nanoplatelets, and ultrathin nanosheets.

Interplay between Surface Chemistry, Precursor Reactivity, and Temperature Determines Outcome of ZnS Shelling Reactions on CuInS Nanocrystals.

ZnS shelling of I-III-VI nanocrystals (NCs) invariably leads to blue-shifts in both the absorption and photoluminescence spectra. These observations imply that the outcome of ZnS shelling reactions on I-III-VI colloidal NCs results from a complex interplay between several processes taking place in solution, at the surface of, and within the seed NC. However, a fundamental understanding of the factors determining the balance between these different processes is still lacking.

Ultrathin One- and Two-Dimensional Colloidal Semiconductor Nanocrystals: Pushing Quantum Confinement to the Limit.

Research on ultrathin nanomaterials is one of the fastest developing areas in contemporary nanoscience. The field of ultrathin one- (1D) and two-dimensional (2D) colloidal nanocrystals (NCs) is still in its infancy, but offers the prospect of production of ultrathin nanomaterials in liquid-phase at relatively low costs, with versatility in terms of composition, size, shape, and surface control. In this Perspective, the state of the art in the field is concisely outlined and critically discussed to highlight the essential concepts and challenges.

Radiative and Nonradiative Recombination in CuInS2 Nanocrystals and CuInS2-Based Core/Shell Nanocrystals.

Luminescent copper indium sulfide (CIS) nanocrystals are a potential solution to the toxicity issues associated with Cd- and Pb-based nanocrystals. However, the development of high-quality CIS nanocrystals has been complicated by insufficient knowledge of the electronic structure and of the factors that lead to luminescence quenching. Here we investigate the exciton decay pathways in CIS nanocrystals using time-resolved photoluminescence and transient absorption spectroscopy.

Non-blinking single-photon emitters in silica.

Samples for single-emitter spectroscopy are usually prepared by spin-coating a dilute solution of emitters on a microscope cover slip of silicate based glass (such as quartz). Here, we show that both borosilicate glass and quartz contain intrinsic defect colour centres that fluoresce when excited at 532 nm. In a microscope image the defect emission is indistinguishable from spin-coated emitters.

Prospects of Colloidal Copper Chalcogenide Nanocrystals.

Over the past few years, colloidal copper chalcogenide nanocrystals (NCs) have emerged as promising alternatives to conventional Cd and Pb chalcogenide NCs. Owing to their wide size, shape, and composition tunability, Cu chalcogenide NCs hold great promise for several applications, such as photovoltaics, lighting and displays, and biomedical imaging. They also offer characteristics that are unparalleled by Cd and Pb chalcogenide NCs, such as plasmonic properties.