High-definition and robust visualization of latent fingerprints utilizing ultrabright aggregation-induced emission of iridium developer.

Creation of AIEgens with high brightness is compactly related to acquiring optimum AIE capabilities and still faces challenges. This study proposes an ingenious structurally regulative approach for preparing ultrabright AIEgens, taking iridium complexes as the model. The incremental rotational activity of substituents obtained by fine adjustment of the stereoscopic configuration efficaciously activates the AIE of iridium complexes and synchronously imparts high-brightness luminescence. Subsequently, benefitting from the ultrabright AIE, high-resolution visualization of latent fingerprints (LFPs) is achieved on diverse substrates by transient immersion in a solution of the AIE-active iridium complex (Ir3) for 60 s. The LFPs stained by Ir3 are integral and distinct enough to possess level 1-3 detail features, which allow precisely realizing personal identification. The LFP photograph emerges inconspicuous attenuation of contrast when aged under ambient light for 10 days and then being continuously irradiated with high-power ultraviolet light for 1 h, reflecting extraordinary aging resistance. Notably, the ultrabright AIE of Ir3 with room-temperature phosphorescence feature successfully achieves enhanced visualization of local fingerprint details with ultrahigh contrast. This LFP visualization protocol based on the ultrabright AIEgens is practical and provides a reliable solution for forensic investigations in actual scenarios.

Noninvasively Modifying Band Structures of Wide-Bandgap Metal Oxides to Boost Photocatalytic Activity.

Although doping with appropriate heteroatoms is a powerful way of increasing visible light absorption of wide-bandgap metal oxide photocatalysts, the incorporation of heteroatoms into the photocatalysts usually leads to the increase of deleterious recombination centers of photogenerated charge carriers. Here, a conceptual strategy of increasing visible light absorption without causing additional recombination centers by constructing an ultrathin insulating heterolayer of amorphous boron oxynitride on wide-bandgap photocatalysts is shown. The nature of this strategy is that the active composition nitrogen in the heterolayer can noninvasively modify the electronic structure of metal oxides for visible light absorption through the interface contact between the heterolayer and metal oxides. The photocatalysts developed show significant improvements in photocatalytic activity under both UV-vis and visible light irradiation compared to the doped counterparts by conventional doping process. These results may provide opportunities for flexibly tailoring the electronic structure of metal oxides.

Crystallinity-dependent substitutional nitrogen doping in ZnO and its improved visible light photocatalytic activity.

Increasing visible light absorption of wide-bandgap photocatalysts (for example, ZnO and TiO2) plays a pivotal role in improving their photocatalytic activity. In this work, we show that substitutional nitrogen doping can be realized in semi-crystalline zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles but fails for highly crystalline ZnO by heating the ZnO at a temperature of 400°C in gaseous ammonia atmosphere. The results suggest that substitutional nitrogen for lattice oxygen is strongly dependent on the crystallinity of ZnO. The nitrogen doped ZnO obtained shows an improved visible light photocatalytic activity in the degradation of organic dyes due to its increased visible light absorption. The origin of the increased visible light absorption is theoretically attributed to the formed N 2p localized states in the bandgap.