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This book presents the fundamental and applied properties of different phosphor materials that exhibit the phenomenon of persistent luminescence (PerLum). PerLum offers a solution for the limitations of existing fluorescent probes, with new lanthanide-based materials for in vivo bio-imaging and demonstrates the practical applications of these materials. The book offers a basic understanding of PerLum, different mechanisms, models, related spectroscopic techniques, and a few applications essential for anyone interested in learning about PerLum materials. This is partly due to the fact that the property of long-lasting luminescence is closely associated with other properties and functionalities, which besides being essential for many technological applications, such as bioimaging and biosensing, involve in-depth physics and chemistry. Although the concept of luminescence has been explored for many decades, the different types of luminescence have always led to versatile breakthroughs in different fields of science and technology. Among the same is one more well-established phenomenon known as'PerLum,'which is characterized by the maintenance of luminescence for periods ranging from minutes to hours in the absence of an external excitation source. Because of their remarkable properties, an enormous number of PerLum materials have been developed and are now widely used in a variety of fields, particularly bioimaging, biosensing, therapeutics, etc.

This book explores upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) at both, the fundamental as well as applied levels, for functional applications. It provides a broad perspective about the synthesis approaches of UCNPs with the preferred size, improved and tunable upconversion luminescence, along with the combined multifunctionality for various applications. It highlights the fundamentals and systematic developments in the tuning of UC emission and surface engineering of UCNPs that make UCNPs convenient for use in a large range of applications. Moreover, it gives an understanding of the imposed limitations and challenges associated with these methods to achieve the desired performance in targeted applications. It also includes the latest multifunctional lanthanide-based UCNPs, which efficiently convert low-energy photons into high-energy photons, and their applications in fluorescent microscopy, deep-tissue bioimaging, nanomedicine, optogenetics, solid-state lighting, solar cells, security labeling, and volumetric display.

This book highlights the optical properties of metal oxides at both the fundamental and applied level and their use in various applications. The book offers a basic understanding of the optical properties and related spectroscopic techniques essential for anyone interested in learning about metal oxide nanostructures. This is partly due to the fact that optical properties are closely associated with other properties and functionalities (e.g., electronic, magnetic, and thermal), which are of essential significance to many technological applications, such as optical data communications, imaging, lighting, and displays, life sciences, health care, security, and safety. The book also highlights the fundamentals and systematic developments in various optical techniques to achieve better characterization, cost-effective, user-friendly approaches, and most importantly, state-of-the-art developing methodologies for various scientific and technological applications. It provides an adequate understanding of the imposed limitations and highlights the prospects and challenges associated with optical analytical methods to achieve the desired performance in targeted applications.

Light is essential for living organisms; however, excessive light causes adverse health conditions. This book covers the most recent progress on nanotechnology for reducing light pollution, discussing many approaches and technologies for controlling light pollution.The book explores the fundamentals of light and the causes of light pollution, delving into light pollution's social, economic, and ecological impacts, its effects on living beings and the environment, as well as possible solutions and methods of control. The text discusses smart lighting technology, covering the various smart nanomaterials, nanosensors, and nanodevices involved. It also explores smart lighting involving natural light from the sun, artificial skydomes, shadow-free/secondary light sources, and the basics of many emerging devices such as light-emitting diodes and photosensors.Nanotechnology is key to providing a new route for the next generation of lighting devices and systems with reduced light pollution. This essential reference illuminates emerging technologies and their applications, providing new directions to scientists, researchers, and students to better understand the principles, technologies, and applications of nanotechnology in light pollution.