Flexible/curved backlight module with quantum-dots microstructure array for liquid crystal displays.

We present a backlight module (BLM) employing a photoluminescent quantum-dot microstructure array for flexible/curved liquid crystal displays (LCDs). Differently sized quantum-dot (QD) BLMs were prepared based on the theoretical spectral model and microstructure fabrication process. A 27-inch curved prototype showed a wide color gamut of 122.79% under the National Television Systems Committee standard while achieving high brightness of over 4000 cd/m2 and brightness/color uniformity of 85.21%/9.2 × 10-3. An LCD monitor prototype equipped with the proposed BLM was also assembled and tested, which showed higher visual performance when compared with a common commercial monitor. This method produces QD BLMs without the need of additional optical elements, and has good compatibility with traditional processes.

In Situ Alloying Sites Anchored on an Amorphous Aluminum Nitride Matrix for Crystallographic Reorientation of Zinc Deposits.

Secondary aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) are considered as one of the promising energy storage devices, but their widespread application is limited by the Zn dendrite issues. In this work, we propose a rational design of surface protective coatings to solve this problem. Specifically, a silver (Ag) nanoparticle embedded amorphous AlN matrix (AlN/Ag) protective layer is developed. The former would alloy in situ with Zn to form AgZn3 alloy sites, which subsequently induce the Zn deposition with preferred (002) facets. The latter can effectively alleviate the structural expansion during repeated Zn plating/stripping. Consequently, the delicately designed AlN/Ag@Zn anode delivers an enhanced stability with a long lifespan of more than 2600 h at 1 mA cm-2 and 1 mAh cm-2. Moreover, the AlN/Ag@Zn||Mn1.4V10O24·nH2O full batteries can be operated for over 8000 cycles under 5 A g-1. Our work not only suggests a promising Zn anode protective coating but also provides a general strategy for the rational design of surface protective layers for metal anodes.

Recent Advances in Copper-Doped Titanium Implants.

Titanium (Ti) and its alloys have been extensively used as implant materials in clinical practice due to their high corrosion resistance, light weight and excellent biocompatibility. However, the insufficient intrinsic osteogenic capacity of Ti and its alloys impedes bone repair and regeneration, and implant-related infection or inflammation remains the leading cause of implant failure. Bacterial infections or inflammatory diseases constitute severe threats to human health. The physicochemical properties of the material are critical to the success of clinical procedures, and the doping of Cu into Ti implants has been confirmed to be capable of enhancing the bone repair/regeneration, angiogenesis and antibacterial capability. This review outlines the recent advances in the design and preparation of Cu-doped Ti and Ti alloy implants, with a special focus on various methods, including plasma immersion implantation, magnetron sputtering, galvanic deposition, microarc oxidation and sol-gel synthesis. More importantly, the antibacterial and mechanical properties as well as the corrosion resistance and biocompatibility of Cu-doped Ti implants from different methods are systematically reviewed, and their prospects and limitations are also discussed.

Perovskite Quantum Dots for Emerging Displays: Recent Progress and Perspectives.

The excellent luminescence properties of perovskite quantum dots (PQDs), including wide excitation wavelength range, adjustable emission wavelength, narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM), and high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY), highly match the application requirements in emerging displays. Starting from the fundamental structure and the related optical properties, this paper first introduces the existing synthesis approaches of PQDs that have been and will potentially be used for display devices, and then summarizes the stability improving approaches with high retention of PQDs' optical performance. Based on the above, the recent research progress of PQDs in displays is further elaborated. For photoluminescent display applications, the PQDs can be embedded in the backlighting device or color filter for liquid crystal displays (LCD), or they may function as the color conversion layer for blue organic light-emitting diodes (OLED) and blue micro-scale light-emitting diodes (µLED). In terms of next-generation electroluminescent displays, notable progress in perovskite quantum-dot light emitting diodes (PeQLED) has been achieved within the past decade, especially the maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE). To conclude, the key directions for future PQD development are summarized for promising prospects and widespread applications in display fields.

Highly Stabilized Gradient Alloy Quantum Dots and Silica Hybrid Nanospheres by Core Double Shells for Photoluminescence Devices.

This Letter reports the synthesis approach and application of colloidal suspensions containing gradient alloy quantum dots (QDs) and silica hybrid spheres with improved thermal and photostability, invisible QD aggregation, and high material compatibility. These hybrid nanospheres are characterized by using silica spheres as cores, adsorbing QDs as one shell, and then coating a silica layer as another shell (termed SiO2-QD-SiO2). They were synthesized by using Stöber and adsorption methods. The experimental conditions affecting the optical properties were fully investigated. A light-guiding microstructure array (LGMA) was fabricated and tested for photoluminescence demonstration. After accelerated aging tests for 240 h under 85 °C, 40% relative humidity, and 450 nm blue light excitation, the luminance of the SiO2-QD-SiO2 LGMA remained stable, which was 1.6 times greater than that of untreated QD samples. This structure with long-term photothermal stability could pave the way for displays or lighting applications.