Congratulations to Dr. Sander Vonk for an Excellent PhD Defense. Sander has successfully defended his PhD thesis, supervised by Prof. dr. Alfons van Blaaderen Prof. dr. Bert Weckhuysen, and dr. Freddy Rabouw.

In his thesis, Sander explored luminescent nanomaterials, focusing on semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) and lanthanide-doped nanocrystals (NCs) to advance renewable energy technologies. He investigated the excited-state dynamics of CdSe and InP QDs, revealing how excitonic interactions and trapping processes influence emission efficiency. For lanthanide-doped NCs, he uncovered how local photonic effects and structural variations impact upconversion properties, particularly in light conversion and sensing applications. His research provides crucial insights into nonradiative losses and excitation pathways, contributing to the fundamental understanding of luminescent nanomaterials’ potential in sustainable technologies.

Sander’s PhD thesis is available to read here.