"Lighting is responsible for over 20% of global electricity usage, most of which is wasted due to the low efficiency of current technologies. Unlike these, Solid-State Lighting (SSL) has the potential to be a 100% efficient technology. Colloidal nanocrystals (NC) are ideal candidates for this application as they exhibit efficient, tunable emission and can be processed in solution. Their applicability is however hindered by nonradiative Auger recombination (AR), the difficulty of achieving balanced electron/hole currents in LEDs and small Stokes shifts which increase the losses by self-absorption. These issues can be addressed by engineering the confinement potential in NC heterostructures and through electronic doping. This project aims at combining these two strategies for achieving highly efficient, low-cost SSL devices that can be implemented in real-world technologies. This goal implies a dedicated synthesis effort and deep understanding of the physical and chemical processes occurring in the NCs and a strong multidisciplinary approach. The structural and optical properties will be investigated with advanced spectroscopic techniques some of which pioneered by the candidate. LEDs will be fabricated and optimized for maximizing their performance. The results will have strong impact on all aspects of NC research: 1) Development of synthesis protocols for producing NCs unaffected by AR and exhibiting new functionalities; 2) achievement of deeper understanding of the photophysical processes especially with regard to the role of interfaces on suppression of AR and the involvement of dopants in the recombination processes of NCs; 3) Design and realization of new SSL sources (white and monochromatic) also based on new operation paradigms made possible by the new functionalities of the advanced NCs. The project will also have strong impact on the candidate’s reintegration as it will allow him to establish his independent line of research within the host organization."