In this review we present new concepts and recent progress in the application of semiconductor quantum dots (QD) as labels in two important areas of biology, bioimaging and biosensing.

This review is focused on new concepts and recent progress in the development of three major quantum dot (QD) based optoelectronic devices: photovoltaic cells, photodetectors and LEDs.

We report on an anomalous size dependence of the room-temperature photoluminescence decay time from the lowest-energy state of PbS quantum dots in colloidal solution, which was found using the transient luminescence spectroscopy. The observed 10-fold reduction in the decay time (from ~2.5 to 0.25 μs) with the increase in the quantum dots' diameter is explained by the existence of phonon-induced transitions between the in-gap state-whose energy drastically depends on the diameter-and the fundamental state of the quantum dots.

Controlling the transport and minimizing charge carrier trapping at interfaces is crucial for the performance of various optoelectronic devices. Here, how electronic properties of stable, abundant, and easy‐to‐synthesized carbon dots (CDs) are controlled via the surface chemistry through a chosen ratio of their precursors citric acid and ethylenediamine are demonstrated. This allows to adjust the work function of indium tin oxide (ITO) films over the broad range of 1.57 eV, through deposition of thin CD layers. CD modifiers with abundant amine groups reduce the ITO work function from 4.64 to 3.42 eV, while those with abundant carboxyl groups increase it to 4.99 eV. Using CDs to modify interfaces between metal oxide (SnO2 and ZnO) films and active layers of solar cells and light‐emitting diodes (LEDs) allows to significantly improve their performance. Power conversion efficiency of CH3NH3PbI3 perovskite solar cells increases from 17.3% to 19.5%; the external quantum efficiency of CsPbI3 perovskite quantum dot LEDs increases from 4.8% to 10.3%; and that of CdSe/ZnS quantum dot LEDs increases from 8.1% to 21.9%. As CD films are easily fabricated in air by solution processing, the approach paves the way to a simplified manufacturing of large‐area and low‐cost optoelectronic devices.

Since the chirality is one of the phenomena often occurring in nature, optically active chiral compounds are important for applications in the fields of biology, pharmacology, and medicine. With this...