Disclosed herein is a method for regenerating retinal tissue which includes preparing a luminescent scaffold, implanting the luminescent scaffold in a portion of retina, for example subretinal area, emitting a green light from the luminescent nanoparticles in a luminescence phenomenon, and absorbing the emitted light by retinal cells for regenerating retinal tissue by stimulating the retinal cells. Moreover, preparing a luminescent scaffold may comprise synthesizing a plurality of luminescent particles, dispersing the luminescent particles in a polymeric matrix to form a luminescent composite, and electrospinning the luminescent composite to form the luminescent scaffold.

A scintillation compound can include a rare earth element that is in a divalent (RE.sup.2+) or a tetravalent state (RE.sup.4+). The scintillation compound can include another element to allow for better change balance. The other element may be a principal constituent of the scintillation compound or may be a dopant or a co-dopant. In an embodiment, a metal element in a trivalent state (M.sup.3+) may be replaced by RE.sup.4+ and a metal element in a divalent state (M.sup.2+). In another embodiment, M.sup.3+ may be replaced by RE.sup.2+ and M.sup.4+. In a further embodiment, M.sup.2+ may be replaced by a RE.sup.3+ and a metal element in a monovalent state (M.sup.1+). The metal element used for electronic charge balance may have a single valance state, rather than a plurality of valence states, to help reduce the likelihood that the valance state would change during formation of the scintillation compound.

Provided are a fluorescent material and a light emitting device using the fluorescent material. The fluorescent material has a composition of a rare earth aluminum gallate containing at least one rare earth element Ln selected from the group consisting of Y, Gd, La, Lu, Sc and Sm; at least one Group 13 element selected from Al and Ga; Tb; Ce; and Eu. When a total molar composition ratio of Al and Ga is set to 5, a total molar ratio of Ln, and Tb, Ce and Eu is 3, a molar ratio of Tb is a product of 3 and a parameter a, a molar ratio of Ce is a product of 3 and a parameter b, a molar ratio of Eu is a product of 3 and a parameter c, a molar ratio of Ga is a product of 5 and a parameter d, the parameter a is 0.25 or more and less than 1, the parameter b is 0.00810.sup.2 or more and 1.510.sup.2 or less, the parameter c is 0.01210.sup.2 or more and 210.sup.2 or less, and the parameter d is 0 or more and 0.85 or less.

The phosphorescent phosphor of the present invention is represented by the composition formula: Sr.sub.1-aMg.sub.bZn.sub.cAl.sub.2O.sub.4;Eu.sub.dM.sub.e wherein a, b, c, d, and e satisfy 0.05a0.8, 0.01b0.1, 0c0.2, 0d0.2, and 0e0.15, respectively, and M represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of dysprosium, samarium, lanthanum, praseodymium, terbium, holmium, thulium, lutetium, ytterbium, erbium, gadolinium, neodymium and cerium, and emits light due to excitation light in a wavelength region of 430 to 480 nm.

An emission enhancement structure having at least one energy augmentation structure; and an energy converter capable of receiving energy from an energy source, converting the energy and emitting therefrom a light of a different energy than the received energy. The energy converter is disposed in a vicinity of the at least one energy augmentation structure such that the emitted light is emitted with an intensity larger than if the converter were remote from the at least one energy augmentation structure. Also described are various uses for the energy emitters, energy augmentation structures and energy collectors in a wide array of fields, including various adhesives applications.

An emission enhancement structure having at least one energy augmentation structure; and an energy converter capable of receiving energy from an energy source, converting the energy and emitting therefrom a light of a different energy than the received energy. The energy converter is disposed in a vicinity of the at least one energy augmentation structure such that the emitted light is emitted with an intensity larger than if the converter were remote from the at least one energy augmentation structure. Also described are various uses for the energy emitters, energy augmentation structures and energy collectors in a wide array of fields, such as color enhancement, and color enhancement structures containing the same.

An article comprising a luminescent nanoparticle is described, wherein the luminescent nanoparticle is selected from the group consisting of oxide nanoparticles, aluminate nanoparticles, and germanate nanoparticles; and wherein the luminescent nanoparticle is doped with one or more metals or rare-earth elements. A method of making a luminescent nanoparticle is also described, the method comprising the steps of: providing a nanoparticle, doping the nanoparticle with one or more chemical elements, heating the nanoparticle to a temperature of between about 1000? C. and about 1200? C. to alter the crystal structure of the nanoparticle and/or to create oxygen vacancies in the nanoparticle. A persistent luminescent nanoparticle is described, said persistent luminescent nanoparticle being selected from the group consisting of: LaAlO.sub.3 nanoparticles, Gd.sub.2O.sub.3 nanoparticles, SrAl.sub.2O.sub.4 nanoparticles, Y.sub.2O.sub.3 nanoparticles, and combinations thereof; wherein the nanoparticle is doped with about 1% or less of a chemical element selected from the group consisting of: holmium, europium, ytterbium, neodymium, magnesium, and combinations thereof.

An emission enhancement structure having at least one energy augmentation structure; and an energy converter capable of receiving energy from an energy source, converting the energy and emitting therefrom a light of a different energy than the received energy. The energy converter is disposed in a vicinity of the at least one energy augmentation structure such that the emitted light is emitted with an intensity larger than if the converter were remote from the at least one energy augmentation structure. Also described are various uses for the energy emitters, energy augmentation structures and energy collectors in a wide array of fields, especially in the field of solar cells and other energy conversion devices.

A phosphor-transition metal-photocatalyst hybrid composite material includes a plurality of beads including a phosphor material, a binder, and zeolite, a plurality of transition metal particles supported on the surface of each of the plurality of beads, and a photocatalyst layer formed on the surface of each of the plurality of beads supporting the transition metal particles by coating a photocatalyst material.

Provided are a method for producing a ceramic composite material that has a high light emission intensity, a ceramic composite material, and a light emitting device. The method for producing a ceramic composite material, includes: preparing a green body containing a nitride fluorescent material having a composition represented by the following chemical formula (I) and aluminum oxide particles mixed with each other; and performing primary sintering the green body at a temperature in a range of 1,250 C. or more and 1,600 C. or less to provide a first sintered body:

M.sub.wLn.sup.1.sub.xA.sub.yN.sub.z(I)

wherein in the chemical formula (I), M represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Ce and Pr; Ln.sup.1 represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Sc, Y, La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, and Lu; A represents at least one element selected from the group consisting of Si and B; and w, x, y, and z each satisfy 0<w1.0, 2.5x3.5, 5.5y6.5, and 10z12.