Multifunctionality of lanthanide-based luminescent hybrid materials

Lanthanide-based luminescent hybrid materials (also known as lanthanide complexes) comprise organic moieties (mostly, β-diketones) as sensitizers and inorganic lanthanide ions as activators, which seeks to address the weak luminescence of lanthanide ions. In these materials, organic moieties (ligands) work as an antenna that strongly absorbs ultraviolet/near-infrared radiation in a broad spectral range and efficiently transfers its excitation energy to the central lanthanide ions that produce its characteristic emission. In recent years, lanthanide-based luminescent hybrid materials have witnessed a surge in research interest in various fields namely luminescence-based sensing, light-emitting diodes, luminescence-based security inks, bioimaging, and increasing the stability/efficiency of halide perovskite-based optoelectronic devices. The near-infrared dye-sensitized hybrid upconverting material is a recent development in the field and is relatively less explored. The halide perovskite, which is a hot topic of research in the field of optoelectronic devices faces the challenge of poor stability under UV light and ambient conditions. In recent years, it has been shown that lanthanide-based luminescent hybrid materials can be used to increase the stability and efficiency of halide perovskite-based optoelectronic devices. This comprehensive review covers energy harvesting in lanthanide-based hybrid materials and its applications in various fields. The multifunctional behavior of lanthanide-based luminescent hybrid materials is demonstrated by considering a few examples in each application area along with in-depth discussion. An emphasis was made on lanthanide-based upconverting hybrid materials and the effect of lanthanide-based hybrid materials on the efficiency and photostability of halide perovskite optoelectronic devices, which are recent developments in the field and therefore less documented.