Plasmonics has remained a prominent and growing field over the past several decades. The coupling of various chemical and photo phenomenon has sparked considerable interest in plasmon-mediated photocatalysis. Given plasmonic photocatalysis has only been developed for a relatively short period, considerable progress has been made in improving the absorption across the full solar spectrum and the efficiency of photo-generated charge carrier separation. With recent advances in fundamental (i.e., mechanisms) and experimental studies (i.e., the influence of size, geometry, surrounding dielectric field, etc.) on plasmon-mediated photocatalysis, the rational design and synthesis of metal/semiconductor hybrid nanostructure photocatalysts has been realized. This review seeks to highlight the recent impressive developments in plasmon-mediated photocatalytic mechanisms (i.e., Schottky junction, direct electron transfer, enhanced local electric field, plasmon resonant energy transfer, and scattering and heating effects), summarize a set of factors (i.e., size, geometry, dielectric environment, loading amount and composition of plasmonic metal, and nanostructure and properties of semiconductors) that largely affect plasmonic photocatalysis, and finally conclude with a perspective on future directions within this rich field of research.

A facile one-step fabrication of large-area multicolored emissive photopatterns in mixed quantum dot-polymer films is demonstrated. This is in sharp contrast to the current photopatterning approaches that utilize only a single quantum dot (QD) component for single-color patterns. Strategies are presented that allow for either selective or collective modification of specific predetermined photoluminescent peaks of green and red QDs during photopattern development. These strategies yield novel patterns and allow for unprecedented control over how the color contrast of the photopattern evolves with continuous light illumination. These results clearly show that the evolution of the emission spectra of a multicolor mixed QD-polymer film can be readily tailored during pattern development, either by careful selection of the excitation wavelength or through combinations of controllably unstable and stable QDs with different recovery rates. Notably, these strategies are simple, fast, and robust, yielding high-resolution microscopic patterns over large areas (up to fractions of a cm²). Furthermore, the flexibility and capabilities of these strategies greatly expand the potential applications of multicolor emissive photopatterns, particularly in the areas of sensing, imaging, and lasing systems where it is important to exert delicate control over the intensity of selected colors within specific spatial regions.

Extending the spectral absorption of organolead halide perovskite solar cells from visible into near-infrared (NIR) range renders the minimization of non-absorption loss of solar photons with improved energy alignment. Herein, we report on, for the first time, a viable strategy of capitalizing on judiciously synthesized monodisperse NaYF₄:Yb/Er upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) as the mesoporous electrode for CH₃NH₃PbI₃ perovskite solar cells and more importantly confer perovskite solar cells to be operative under NIR light. Uniform NaYF₄:Yb/Er UCNPs are first crafted by employing rationally designed double hydrophilic star-like poly(acrylic acid)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PAA-b-PEO) diblock copolymer as nanoreactor, imparting the solubility of UCNPs and the tunability of film porosity during the manufacturing process. The subsequent incorporation of NaYF₄:Yb/Er UCNPs as the mesoporous electrode led to a high efficiency of 17.8 %, which was further increased to 18.1 % upon NIR irradiation. The in situ integration of upconversion materials as functional components of perovskite solar cells offers the expanded flexibility for engineering the device architecture and broadening the solar spectral use.

The key to utilizing quantum dots (QDs) as lasing media is to effectively reduce non-radiative processes, such as Auger recombination and surface trapping. A robust strategy to craft a set of CdSe/Cd_1−xZn_xSe_1−yS_y/ZnS core/graded shell–shell QDs with suppressed re-absorption, reduced Auger recombination rate, and tunable Stokes shift is presented. In sharp contrast to conventional CdSe/ZnS QDs, which have a large energy level mismatch between CdSe and ZnS and thus show strong re-absorption and a constrained Stokes shift, the as-synthesized CdSe/Cd_1−xZn_xSe_1−yS_y/ZnS QDs exhibited the suppressed re-absorption of CdSe core and tunable Stokes shift as a direct consequence of the delocalization of the electron wavefunction over the entire QD. Such Stokes shift-engineered QDs with suppressed re-absorption may represent an important class of building blocks for use in lasers, light emitting diodes, solar concentrators, and parity-time symmetry materials and devices.

Extending the spectral absorption of organolead halide perovskite solar cells from visible into near-infrared (NIR) range renders the minimization of non-absorption loss of solar photons with improved energy alignment. Herein, we report on, for the first time, a viable strategy of capitalizing on judiciously synthesized monodisperse NaYF₄:Yb/Er upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) as the mesoporous electrode for CH₃NH₃PbI₃ perovskite solar cells and more importantly confer perovskite solar cells to be operative under NIR light. Uniform NaYF₄:Yb/Er UCNPs are first crafted by employing rationally designed double hydrophilic star-like poly(acrylic acid)-block-poly(ethylene oxide) (PAA-b-PEO) diblock copolymer as nanoreactor, imparting the solubility of UCNPs and the tunability of film porosity during the manufacturing process. The subsequent incorporation of NaYF₄:Yb/Er UCNPs as the mesoporous electrode led to a high efficiency of 17.8 %, which was further increased to 18.1 % upon NIR irradiation. The in situ integration of upconversion materials as functional components of perovskite solar cells offers the expanded flexibility for engineering the device architecture and broadening the solar spectral use.

The key to utilizing quantum dots (QDs) as lasing media is to effectively reduce non-radiative processes, such as Auger recombination and surface trapping. A robust strategy to craft a set of CdSe/Cd_1−xZn_xSe_1−yS_y/ZnS core/graded shell–shell QDs with suppressed re-absorption, reduced Auger recombination rate, and tunable Stokes shift is presented. In sharp contrast to conventional CdSe/ZnS QDs, which have a large energy level mismatch between CdSe and ZnS and thus show strong re-absorption and a constrained Stokes shift, the as-synthesized CdSe/Cd_1−xZn_xSe_1−yS_y/ZnS QDs exhibited the suppressed re-absorption of CdSe core and tunable Stokes shift as a direct consequence of the delocalization of the electron wavefunction over the entire QD. Such Stokes shift-engineered QDs with suppressed re-absorption may represent an important class of building blocks for use in lasers, light emitting diodes, solar concentrators, and parity-time symmetry materials and devices.

Graphene-containing nanomaterials have emerged as important candidates for electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) due to their unique physical properties. In this review, a brief introduction to recent developments in graphene-containing nanocomposite electrodes and their derivatives is provided. Subsequently, synthetic routes to nanoparticle/graphene composites and their electrochemical performance in LIBs are highlighted, and the current state-of-the-art and most recent advances in the area of graphene-containing nanocomposite electrode materials are summarized. The limitations of graphene-containing materials for energy storage applications are also discussed, with an emphasis on anode and cathode materials. Potential research directions for the future development of graphene-containing nanocomposites are also presented, with an emphasis placed on practicality and scale-up considerations for taking such materials from benchtop curiosities to commercial products.

Star-like amphiphilic triblock copolymers were rationally designed and synthesized by combining two sequential atom-transfer radical polymerization reactions with a click reaction. Subsequently, a family of uniform magnetic/plasmonic core/shell nanoparticles was crafted by capitalizing on these triblock copolymers as nanoreactors. The diameter of the magnetic core and the thickness of the plasmonic shell could be independently and accurately controlled by varying the molecular weights (i.e., the chain lengths) of the inner and intermediate blocks of the star-like triblock copolymers, respectively. The surface plasmonic absorption of core/shell nanoparticles with different core diameters and shell thicknesses was systematically studied and theoretically modeled. This robust strategy provides easy access to a large variety of multifunctional nanoparticles with large lattice mismatches for use in optics, optoelectronics, catalysis, or bioimaging.

One-dimensional nanowires enable the realization of optical and electronic nanodevices that may find applications in energy conversion and storage systems. Herein, large-scale aligned DNA nanowires were crafted by flow-enabled self-assembly (FESA). The highly oriented and continuous DNA nanowires were then capitalized on either as a template to form metallic nanowires by exposing DNA nanowires that had been preloaded with metal salts to an oxygen plasma or as a scaffold to direct the positioning and alignment of metal nanoparticles and nanorods. The FESA strategy is simple and easy to implement and thus a promising new method for the low-cost synthesis of large-scale one-dimensional nanostructures for nanodevices.

Star-like amphiphilic triblock copolymers were rationally designed and synthesized by combining two sequential atom-transfer radical polymerization reactions with a click reaction. Subsequently, a family of uniform magnetic/plasmonic core/shell nanoparticles was crafted by capitalizing on these triblock copolymers as nanoreactors. The diameter of the magnetic core and the thickness of the plasmonic shell could be independently and accurately controlled by varying the molecular weights (i.e., the chain lengths) of the inner and intermediate blocks of the star-like triblock copolymers, respectively. The surface plasmonic absorption of core/shell nanoparticles with different core diameters and shell thicknesses was systematically studied and theoretically modeled. This robust strategy provides easy access to a large variety of multifunctional nanoparticles with large lattice mismatches for use in optics, optoelectronics, catalysis, or bioimaging.

One-dimensional nanowires enable the realization of optical and electronic nanodevices that may find applications in energy conversion and storage systems. Herein, large-scale aligned DNA nanowires were crafted by flow-enabled self-assembly (FESA). The highly oriented and continuous DNA nanowires were then capitalized on either as a template to form metallic nanowires by exposing DNA nanowires that had been preloaded with metal salts to an oxygen plasma or as a scaffold to direct the positioning and alignment of metal nanoparticles and nanorods. The FESA strategy is simple and easy to implement and thus a promising new method for the low-cost synthesis of large-scale one-dimensional nanostructures for nanodevices.

Semiconductor organic-inorganic nanocomposites have garnered much attention as they integrate the advantageous properties from conjugated polymers (CPs) and semiconductor nanocrystals (NCs). Recent developments in interfacial engineering of CP-NC nanocomposites enabled the intimate contact between CPs and NCs, thereby facilitating charge separation between these two constituents. To capitalize on the use of CP-NC nanocomposites for hybrid solar cells, several issues need to be addressed, including materials design and engineering, light harvesting, and morphology of photoactive layer. In this Review, the general working principle of hybrid solar cells and the development of p-type and n-type CPs are briefly introduced, followed by the highlight of recent advances in synthesis of CP-NC nanocomposites in which CP and NC are in intimate contact for hybrid solar cells, and the discussion on various strategies for potentially improved power conversion efficiency. An outlook for future directions in this area is also presented. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part B: Polym. Phys. 2014, 52, 1641–1660

Janus-Strukturen, die nach dem antiken zweigesichtigen römischen Gott Janus benannt sind, bestehen aus zwei Halbstrukturen (z. B. Halbkugeln) mit unterschiedlichen Zusammensetzungen und Funktionalitäten. In den letzten Jahren wurde eine intensive Erforschung von Janus-Strukturen aufgrund der faszinierenden Eigenschaften und vielversprechenden potenziellen Anwendungen dieser ungewöhnlich geformten Materialien beobachtet. Dieser Aufsatz diskutiert die neuesten Fortschritte bei der Synthese, den Eigenschaften und den Anwendungen streng zweiphasiger Janus-Strukturen, die symmetrische Strukturen aufweisen, aber aus verschiedenen Materialien bestehen. Je nach chemischer Zusammensetzung können zweiphasige Janus-Strukturen in weiche, harte und hybride weiche/harte Janus-Strukturen unterschiedlichen Aufbaus – kugelförmig, stabförmig, scheibenförmig oder andersförmig – klassifiziert werden. Die wichtigsten Synthesewege zu weichen, harten und hybriden weichen/harten Janus-Strukturen werden zusammengefasst und ihre besonderen Eigenschaften und Anwendungen vorgestellt. Außerdem werden die Perspektiven der zukünftigen Forschung und Entwicklung aufgezeigt.

Janus structures, named after the ancient two-faced Roman god Janus, comprise two hemistructures (e.g. hemispheres) with different compositions and functionalities. Much research has been carried out over the past few years on Janus structures because of the intriguing properties and promising potential applications of these unusually shaped materials. This Review discusses recent progress made in the synthesis, properties, and applications of strictly biphasic Janus structures possessing symmetrical structures but made of disparate materials. Depending on the chemical compositions, such biphasic structures can be categorized into soft, hard, and hybrid soft/hard Janus structures of different architectures, including spheres, rodlike, disclike, or any other shape. The main synthetic routes to soft, hard, and hybrid soft/hard Janus structures are summarized and their unique properties and applications are introduced. The perspectives for future research and development are also described.

Semiconductor organic−inorganic hybrid solar cells incorporating conjugated polymers (CPs) and nanocrystals (NCs) offer the potential to deliver efficient energy conversion with low-cost fabrication. The CP-based photovoltaic devices are complimented by an extensive set of advantageous characteristics from CPs and NCs, such as lightweight, flexibility, and solution-processability of CPs, combined with high electron mobility and size-dependent optical properties of NCs. Recent research has witnessed rapid advances in an emerging field of directly tethering CPs on the NC surface to yield an intimately contacted CP−NC nanocomposite possessing a well-defined interface that markedly promotes the dispersion of NCs within the CP matrix, facilitates the photoinduced charge transfer between these two semiconductor components, and provides an effective platform for studying the interfacial charge separation and transport. In this Review, we aim to highlight the recent developments in CP−NC nanocomposite materials, critically examine the viable preparative strategies geared to craft intimate CP−NC nanocomposites and their photovoltaic performance in hybrid solar cells, and finally provide an outlook for future directions of this extraordinarily rich field.

Research into the evaporation of solutions is not only aimed at a better understanding the physics of evaporation, but increasingly at capitalizing on the extremely simple method it offers to assemble diverse nonvolatile solutes into complex ordered structures on the submicron and longer length scales. This Review highlights recent advances in evaporative assembly of confined solutions, focusing especially on recently developed approaches that provide structures with unprecedented regularity composed of polymers, nanoparticles, and biomaterials, by controlled evaporation-driven, flow-aided self-assembly. A broad range of variables that can control the deposition are explored and the future directions of this rich field are presented.

Trocknende Lösungen sind nicht nur ein Modell für die Untersuchung des Verdunstungsvorgangs an sich, sondern sie lassen sich auch nutzen, um nichtflüchtige gelöste Stoffe zu komplexen geordneten Strukturen im Submikrometermaßstab und darüber zu aggregieren. Dieser Aufsatz behandelt aktuelle Fortschritte bei der Verdunstungsaggregation aus räumlich eingeschränkten Lösungen mit besonderem Augenmerk auf neuen präparativen Ansätzen zur Herstellung von Strukturen mit höchster Regelmäßigkeit aus Polymeren, Nanopartikeln und Biomaterialien über kontrollierte verdunstungsgetriebene strömungsunterstützte Selbstorganisation. Die Abscheidung kann über verschiedene Variablen kontrolliert werden. Schließlich wird ein Ausblick auf zukünftige Entwicklungen auf diesem faszinierenden Gebiet gegeben.

Owing to well-defined structural parameters and enhanced electronic properties, highly ordered TiO₂ nanotube arrays have been employed to substitute TiO₂ nanoparticles for use in dye-sensitized solar cells. To further improve the performance of dye-sensitized TiO₂ nanotube solar cells, efforts have been directed toward the optimization of TiO₂ photoanodes, dyes, electrolytes, and counter electrodes. Herein, we highlight recent progress in rational structural and surface engineering on anodic TiO₂ nanotube arrays and their effects on improving the power conversion efficiency of dye-sensitized TiO₂ nanotube solar cells.