About this Research Topic

Background

The last couple of decades has seen a real bloom in the research of materials at the nanoscale, due to the remarkable properties (e.g., optical, magnetic, and electrical) that these materials possess. Optical properties, in particular, can be exploited in a large number of technology-related fields. Thanks to the small (nano)size of the particles, the quantum confinement comes into play and the electronic bandgap is established and/or can be tuned, thereby empowering the material with photoluminescence (PL). PL is correlated with the size, shape, and porosity of the nano-object, and various wavelengths, both in the UV and visible range, can be obtained by the fine tuning of these properties. Further control of the emission can be obtained through the interaction of ions or molecules with the nanomaterial’s surface, thus causing quenching or enhancement effects, a property that is particularly relevant to exploit the materials as probes in the field of sensoristics.

The main goal of the Research Topic is to shed light on the newest advances in the synthesis and structural characterization of luminescent nanoparticles, and to investigate on the new technological properties of the synthesized materials, in order to design task-specific systems. Regarding the first theme, studies reporting new bottom-up, as well as top-down, synthetic procedures are welcome, with a special look at green and sustainable methodologies, for instance room temperature wet syntheses in aqueous environment; new sol-gel strategies; and preparations in structure-directing media, like natural Deep Eutectic Solvents, just to name a few. The establishment of new methods to control the shape and dimensions of the nanomaterial will be the core of the second theme and may include the addition of templating agents; surfactants; anti-solvents; dispersing agents; as well as the control of physical-chemical parameters (temperature, pH, drying time). A further aim is the largely coveted task-specificity, and the corresponding setup of the needed functionalization/coating procedures. The investigation of the added-value response properties of these functional materials, through the modulation of the luminescence due to interactions with molecules or to physical quantities (e. g. temperature) is another remarkable ambition of this topic.

Researchers working in this field are welcome to contribute original research papers or reviews to this Research Topic. The potential themes include but are not limited to:
• Synthesis of nanomaterials - nanoparticles, nanocomposites, core-shell particles – endowed with intrinsic chemiluminescence properties
• Evaluation and tuning of the luminescence modulation (enhancement/quenching) by interaction with different analytes, use of the material within sensors for, e. g. heavy metal contaminants, pesticides, etc.
• Temperature effects and use as high temperature or cryogenic nanothermometers
• Characterization of the structure-size-property relationship with experimental techniques, like electron microscopy (SEM/TEM), vibrational spectroscopy (FTIR/RAMAN), X-ray diffraction (XRD), energy-dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis and with theoretical Density Functional Theory (DFT) studies.

Article types and fees

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Articles that are accepted for publication by our external editors following rigorous peer review incur a publishing fee charged to Authors, institutions, or funders.

Article types

This Research Topic accepts the following article types, unless otherwise specified in the Research Topic description:

• Editorial
• Mini Review
• Original Research
• Perspective
• Review

Keywords: New materials, Sensors, Luminescence, Sustainable Synthesis, Nanoparticles

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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