Colloidal nanocrystals for quality lighting and displays: milestones and recent developments

Recent advances in colloidal synthesis of nanocrystals have enabled high-quality high-efficiency light-emitting diodes, displays with significantly broader color gamut, and optically-pumped lasers spanning the whole visible regime. Here we review these colloidal platforms covering the milestone studies together with recent developments. In the review, we focus on the devices made of colloidal quantum dots (nanocrystals), colloidal quantum rods (nanorods), and colloidal quantum wells (nanoplatelets) as well as those of solution processed perovskites and phosphor nanocrystals. The review starts with an introduction to colloidal nanocrystal photonics emphasizing the importance of colloidal materials for light-emitting devices. Subsequently, we continue with the summary of important reports on light-emitting diodes, in which colloids are used as the color converters and then as the emissive layers in electroluminescent devices. Also, we review the developments in color enrichment and electroluminescent displays. Next, we present a summary of important reports on the lasing of colloidal semiconductors. Finally, we summarize and conclude the review presenting a future outlook.