In this paper, an oxide upconversion nanomaterial, Gd2O3:Ln3+, as an alternative counterpart of NaGdF4:Ln3+ was developed via controlled surfactant-free synthesis, flexible lanthanide loading, compositional/size tuning, hexagonal-to-cubic lattice refinement, and positive surface charging to achieve a substantial enhancement of upconversion luminescence (∼30 times upon calcination at 1000 vs 600 °C; ∼4000 times versus its hydroxide form) due to high crystallinity and extremely low residual impurities for white emission and cellular imaging.

Designing an efficient photoanode is of great importance for photoassisted solar water splitting. Herein, a series of modifications to a nanorod structure hematite, to be used as anode for photoelectrochemical (PEC) water-splitting reactions is designed. Ti doping, oxygen vacancy formation by N 2 treatment, TiO 2 passivation, and FeOOH cocatalyst decoration are explored for their roles and contributions to the improvement of the PEC water oxidation performance. It is found that Ti doping and N 2 treatment can greatly increase the charge carrier density, which has boosted the photocurrent. TiO 2 passivation enhances the photovoltage, resulting in a cathodic shift in the onset potential (%170 mV with respect to prepassivation). Further, the FeOOH cocatalyst decoration improves the reaction kinetics, thereby improving the overall photoassisted water oxidation performance.

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Two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials (NM) have emerged as promising platforms for antibacterial applications. However, the inherent “flatness” of 2D NM often limits the loading of antimicrobial components needed for synergistic bactericidal...

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