Polymer hydrogels are widely used as cell scaffolds for biomedical applications. Although the biochemical and biophysical properties of hydrogels have been investigated extensively, little attention has been paid to their potential photonic functionalities. Here, we report cell-integrated polyethylene glycol-based hydrogels for in vivo optical-sensing and therapy applications. Hydrogel patches containing cells were implanted in awake, freely moving mice for several days and shown to offer long-term transparency, biocompatibility, cell viability and light-guiding properties (loss of <1 dB cm⁻¹). Using optogenetic, glucagon-like peptide-1 secreting cells, we conducted light-controlled therapy using the hydrogel in a mouse model with diabetes and obtained improved glucose homeostasis. Furthermore, real-time optical readout of encapsulated heat-shock-protein-coupled fluorescent reporter cells made it possible to measure the nanotoxicity of cadmium-based bare and shelled quantum dots (CdTe; CdSe/ZnS) in vivo.

Advances in photonics have stimulated significant progress in medicine, with many techniques now in routine clinical use. However, the finite depth of light penetration in tissue is a serious constraint to clinical utility. Here we show implantable light-delivery devices made of bio-derived or biocompatible, and biodegradable polymers. In contrast to conventional optical fibres, which must be removed from the body soon after use, the biodegradable and biocompatible waveguides may be used for long-term light delivery and need not be removed as they are gradually resorbed by the tissue. As proof of concept, we demonstrate this paradigm-shifting approach for photochemical tissue bonding (PTB). Using comb-shaped planar waveguides, we achieve a full thickness (>10 mm) wound closure of porcine skin, which represents ∼10-fold extension of the tissue area achieved with conventional PTB. The results point to a new direction in photomedicine for using light in deep tissues.

We introduce white light generation using CdSe/ZnS core-shell nanocrystals of single, dual, triple and quadruple combinations hybridized with InGaN/GaN LEDs. Such hybridization of different nanocrystal combinations provides the ability to conveniently adjust white light parameters including the tristimulus coordinates (x, y), correlated colour temperature (Tc )a nd colour rending index (Ra). We present the design, growth, fabrication and characterization of our white hybrid nanocrystal-LEDs that incorporate combinations of (1) yellow nanocrystals (λPL = 580 nm) on a blue LED (λEL = 440 nm) with (x, y) = (0.37, 0.25), Tc = 2692 K and Ra = 14.69; (2) cyan and red nanocrystals (λPL = 500 and 620 nm) on a blue LED (λEL = 440 nm) with (x, y) = (0.37, 0.28), Tc = 3246 K and Ra = 19.65; (3) green, yellow and red nanocrystals (λPL = 540, 580 and 620 nm) on a blue LED (λEL = 452 nm) with (x, y) = (0.30, 0.28), Tc = 7521 K and Ra = 40.95; and (4) cyan, green, yellow and red nanocrystals (λPL = 500, 540, 580 and 620 nm) on a blue LED (λEL = 452 nm) with (x, y) = (0.24, 0.33), Tc = 11 171 K and Ra = 71.07. These hybrid white light sources hold promise for future lighting and display applications with their highly adjustable properties.

Warm-white light emitting diodes with high color rendering indices are required for the widespread use of solid state lighting especially indoors. To meet these requirements, we propose and demonstrate warm-white hybrid light sources that incorporate the right color-converting combinations of CdSe∕ZnS core-shell nanocrystals hybridized on InGaN∕GaN LEDs for high color rendering index. Three sets of proof-of-concept devices are developed to generate high-quality warm-white light with (1) tristimulus coordinates (x,y)=(0.37,0.30), luminous efficacy (LE)=307lm∕W, color rending index (CR)=82.4, and correlated color temperature (CCT)=3228K; (2) (x,y)=(0.38,0.31), LE=323lm∕W, CRI=81.0, and CCT=3190K; and (3) (x,y)=(0.37,0.30), LE=303lm∕W, CRI=79.6, and CCT=1982K.

We report a photometric study of ultra-efficient light emitting diodes (LEDs) that exhibit superior color rendering index (CRI) and luminous efficacy of optical radiation (LER) using semiconductor quantum dot nanocrystal (NC) luminophores. Over 200 million systematically varied NC-LED designs have been simulated to understand feasible performance in terms of CRI vs. LER. We evaluated the effects of design parameters including peak emission wavelength, full-width-at-half-maximum, and relative amplitudes of each NC color component on LED performance. Warm-white LEDs with CRI >90 and LER >380 lm/W at a correlated color temperature of 3000 K are shown to be achieved using nanocrystal luminophores.