The longstanding investigation on defects in solids and recent approaches in driving inorganic nanomaterials luminescence

The world of luminescent materials offers a stimulating roundtable for the scientific community on the principal factors that drive the luminescence in inorganic bulk and nano-materials. Especially in nanomaterials the promotion of a deep knowledge of defects and of engineering strategies are powerful tools to adapt their electronic and luminescent properties for various applications. We present successful results obtained for nanometric ZnO and HfO2. Their luminescence displays a dependence on the material intrinsic defectiveness. Indeed, we proved that ZnO and HfO2 luminescence features, originating from different optically active defects, are controlled by synthesis and thermo-chemical treatments that lead to morphological modifications, surface/interface restructuring, size change, and thus to rearrangement of defects. In addition, we explore the influence exerted by defectiveness on ZnO photochemical activities and on the generation of persistent toxic free radicals; in parallel we investigate the suitability of a HfO2 blue luminescence emission for future purposes in the scintillation detectors field, as well as in X‐ray triggered oncological therapies.