(INVITED) Infrared-to-ultraviolet upconverting nanoparticles for COVID-19-related disinfection applications

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the demand for better UV disinfection sources has increased drastically. Recent advances in Lanthanide-based upconverting nanoparticle (UCNP) designs have led to dramatic increases in efficiency – beyond what is possible in bulk upconverting material – for generating short-wavelength light from long-wavelength photons, pushing achievable upconversion into the UV regime. Such nanoparticles represent an ultimate source of ultra-local UV light, with applications in UV photocatalysis, 3D printing and manufacturing, and perhaps most importantly, health care. The goal of this article is to provide an assessment for the application of UCNPs as local UV sources for disinfection. We map out the potential for incorporation into personal protective equipment (PPE), focusing on N95 face masks as a model system. Performance and viability are evaluated based on recent UCNP findings and extrapolating cost trends following the recent example of commercialized semiconductor quantum dot nanoparticles.