IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-60838-7.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Directional white-light emission from sintered carbon dot titanium dioxide structures based on near-field confinement

Author

Listed:
  • Dalei Wang

    (Soochow University
    Zhejiang A&F University)

  • Xiaoxia Han

    (Soochow University)

  • Hao Wang

    (Soochow University)

  • Zenan Li

    (Soochow University)

  • Zhaomin Chen

    (Soochow University)

  • Qing Yang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Mingcheng Yang

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Zexin Zhang

    (Soochow University)

  • Yizhi Zhu

    (Southeast University)

  • Jintao Tong

    (Soochow University)

  • Jie Lin

    (Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research)

  • Jingsong Huang

    (Oxford Suzhou Centre for Advanced Research)

  • Daping Luo

    (East China Normal University)

  • Tao Wang

    (Soochow University)

  • Wei Liu

    (Zhejiang A&F University)

  • Wenxue Li

    (East China Normal University)

  • Chunxiang Xu

    (Southeast University)

  • Bin Dong

    (Soochow University)

  • Zhenhui Kang

    (Soochow University
    Macau University of Science and Technology)

Abstract

Directional light source not only helps to advance scientific progresses but also has great potentials in many application fields. However, it is still challenging to achieve the directional white light without optical elements. Here, we report a highly directional white-light emitter driven by 1064 nm near-infrared laser with 1/60 solid angle that does not require the introduction of optical elements. The emitter which consists of binary components, i.e. carbon dot and titanium oxide, possesses a microlens-shape surface formed during the synthesis process. Upon near-infrared light excitation, carbon dot emits white light based on a fundamentally different mechanism, which may involve a process similar to bremsstrahlung, multiphoton and thermal processes. The emitted white light is then regulated in the near field by the microlens-shape surface due to the confinement effect, resulting in the high directionality. The highly directional white-light emitter exhibits excellent stability and repeatability, making it promising for applications including targeted illumination and projection.

Suggested Citation

  • Dalei Wang & Xiaoxia Han & Hao Wang & Zenan Li & Zhaomin Chen & Qing Yang & Mingcheng Yang & Zexin Zhang & Yizhi Zhu & Jintao Tong & Jie Lin & Jingsong Huang & Daping Luo & Tao Wang & Wei Liu & Wenxue, 2025. "Directional white-light emission from sintered carbon dot titanium dioxide structures based on near-field confinement," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-9, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-60838-7
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-60838-7
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-60838-7
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-60838-7?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Chunbin Li & Jian Du & Guoyu Jiang & Jianye Gong & Yue Zhang & Mengfan Yao & Jianguo Wang & Limin Wu & Ben Zhong Tang, 2024. "White-light activatable organic NIR-II luminescence nanomaterials for imaging-guided surgery," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    2. Dejun Zhou & Fei Tian & Xiangdong Tian & Lin Sun & Xianghui Huang & Feng Zhao & Nan Zhou & Zuoyu Chen & Qiang Zhang & Meng Yang & Yichen Yang & Xuexi Guo & Zhibin Li & Jia Liu & Jiefu Wang & Junfeng W, 2020. "Diagnostic evaluation of a deep learning model for optical diagnosis of colorectal cancer," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-9, December.
    3. Gi Byoung Hwang & He Huang & Gaowei Wu & Juhun Shin & Andreas Kafizas & Kersti Karu & Hendrik Du Toit & Abdullah M. Alotaibi & Layla Mohammad-Hadi & Elaine Allan & Alexander J. MacRobert & Asterios Ga, 2020. "Photobactericidal activity activated by thiolated gold nanoclusters at low flux levels of white light," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 11(1), pages 1-10, December.
    4. Haomiao Zhu & Chun Che Lin & Wenqin Luo & Situan Shu & Zhuguang Liu & Yongsheng Liu & Jintao Kong & En Ma & Yongge Cao & Ru-Shi Liu & Xueyuan Chen, 2014. "Highly efficient non-rare-earth red emitting phosphor for warm white light-emitting diodes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 5(1), pages 1-10, September.
    5. Hisayoshi Daicho & Takeshi Iwasaki & Kiminori Enomoto & Yasutaka Sasaki & Yuzo Maeno & Yu Shinomiya & Shinobu Aoyagi & Eiji Nishibori & Makoto Sakata & Hiroshi Sawa & Satoru Matsuishi & Hideo Hosono, 2012. "A novel phosphor for glareless white light-emitting diodes," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 3(1), pages 1-8, January.
    6. Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska, 2018. "Make lighting healthier," Nature, Nature, vol. 553(7688), pages 274-276, January.
    7. M. A. Baldo & D. F. O'Brien & Y. You & A. Shoustikov & S. Sibley & M. E. Thompson & S. R. Forrest, 1998. "Highly efficient phosphorescent emission from organic electroluminescent devices," Nature, Nature, vol. 395(6698), pages 151-154, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Xiao-Chun Fan & Xun Tang & Tong-Yuan Zhang & Shintaro Kohata & Jia Yu & Xian-Kai Chen & Kai Wang & Takuji Hatakeyama & Chihaya Adachi & Xiao-Hong Zhang, 2025. "Stable narrowband blue OLEDs by modulating frontier molecular orbital levels," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Shun Kondo & Mana Kameyama & Kentaro Imaoka & Yoko Shimoi & Fabrice Mathevet & Takashi Fujihara & Hiroshi Goto & Hajime Nakanotani & Masayuki Yahiro & Chihaya Adachi, 2024. "Organic thermoelectric device utilizing charge transfer interface as the charge generation by harvesting thermal energy," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    3. Nona Schulte-Römer & Josiane Meier & Etta Dannemann & Max Söding, 2019. "Lighting Professionals versus Light Pollution Experts? Investigating Views on an Emerging Environmental Concern," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-20, March.
    4. Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska & Julia Hartmann & Carla Sigillo, 2019. "LED Light Sources and Their Complex Set-Up for Visually and Biologically Effective Illumination for Ornamental Indoor Plants," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-32, May.
    5. Jaewook Kim & Joonghyuk Kim & Yongjun Kim & Youngmok Son & Youngsik Shin & Hye Jin Bae & Ji Whan Kim & Sungho Nam & Yongsik Jung & Hyeonsu Kim & Sungwoo Kang & Yoonsoo Jung & Kyunghoon Lee & Hyeonho C, 2023. "Critical role of electrons in the short lifetime of blue OLEDs," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    6. Xiao Tan & Dehai Dou & Lay-Lay Chua & Rui-Qi Png & Daniel G. Congrave & Hugo Bronstein & Martin Baumgarten & Yungui Li & Paul W. M. Blom & Gert-Jan A. H. Wetzelaer, 2024. "Inverted device architecture for high efficiency single-layer organic light-emitting diodes with imbalanced charge transport," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-7, December.
    7. Pode, Ramchandra, 2020. "Organic light emitting diode devices: An energy efficient solid state lighting for applications," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 133(C).
    8. Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska & Katarzyna Bobkowska, 2022. "Rethinking Sustainable Cities at Night: Paradigm Shifts in Urban Design and City Lighting," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(10), pages 1-34, May.
    9. Karolina M. Zielińska-Dabkowska & Kyra Xavia & Katarzyna Bobkowska, 2020. "Assessment of Citizens’ Actions against Light Pollution with Guidelines for Future Initiatives," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(12), pages 1-32, June.
    10. David Baeza Moyano & Roberto Alonso González-Lezcano, 2021. "Pandemic of Childhood Myopia. Could New Indoor LED Lighting Be Part of the Solution?," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(13), pages 1-14, June.
    11. Catherine Pérez Vega & Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska & Franz Hölker, 2021. "Urban Lighting Research Transdisciplinary Framework—A Collaborative Process with Lighting Professionals," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(2), pages 1-18, January.
    12. Chen Yin & Yangyang Xin & Tianyu Huang & Qisheng Zhang & Lian Duan & Dongdong Zhang, 2025. "Ultra-low power-consumption OLEDs via phosphor-assisted thermally-activated-delayed-fluorescence-sensitized narrowband emission," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    13. Christian Hintze & Tobias O Morgen & Malte Drescher, 2017. "Heavy-atom effect on optically excited triplet state kinetics," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(11), pages 1-13, November.
    14. Katarzyna Bobkowska & Pawel Burdziakowski & Jakub Szulwic & Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska, 2021. "Seven Different Lighting Conditions in Photogrammetric Studies of a 3D Urban Mock-Up," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(23), pages 1-27, November.
    15. Gaffuri, Pierre & Stolyarova, Elena & Llerena, Daniel & Appert, Estelle & Consonni, Marianne & Robin, Stéphane & Consonni, Vincent, 2021. "Potential substitutes for critical materials in white LEDs: Technological challenges and market opportunities," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 143(C).
    16. Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska & Kyra Xavia, 2021. "Looking Up to the Stars. A Call for Action to Save New Zealand’s Dark Skies for Future Generations to Come," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(23), pages 1-19, December.
    17. Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska & Katarzyna Szlachetko & Katarzyna Bobkowska, 2021. "An Impact Analysis of Artificial Light at Night (ALAN) on Bats. A Case Study of the Historic Monument and Natura 2000 Wisłoujście Fortress in Gdansk, Poland," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 18(21), pages 1-48, October.
    18. Xin Li & Wenlang Li & Ziqi Deng & Jingtian Wang & Shan He & Xinwen Ou & David Lee Phillips & Guanjun Xiao & Bo Zou & Ryan T. K. Kwok & Jianwei Sun & Jacky W. Y. Lam & Zhihong Guo & Ben Zhong Tang, 2025. "Building bridges through dynamic coupling for organic phosphorescence," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-12, December.
    19. Sanchari Debnath & Pria Ramkissoon & Ulrike Salzner & Christopher R. Hall & Naitik A. Panjwani & Woojae Kim & Trevor A. Smith & Satish Patil, 2025. "Modulation of delayed fluorescence pathways via rational molecular engineering," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-11, December.
    20. Karolina M. Zielinska-Dabkowska & Kyra Xavia, 2019. "Global Approaches to Reduce Light Pollution from Media Architecture and Non-Static, Self-Luminous LED Displays for Mixed-Use Urban Developments," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(12), pages 1-33, June.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-60838-7. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.