Single-Component 0D Metal-Organic Halides with Color-Variable Long-Afterglow toward Multi-Level Information Security and White-Light LED

The optical anti-counterfeiting science and technology are currently restricted by the limited information loading capacity, and thus development of multi-level and high-security systems is urgently needed but still challenging. Herein, anti-counterfeiting design strategies (including ASCII/5D codes and dynamic information storage) are reported by incorporation of abundant multi-central luminescence and time-resolved, excitation-dependent ultralong phosphorescence. Self-assembly of new single-component 0D organic-inorganic metal halides (OIMHs) are facilely achieved, which exhibit divisible ultralong all-phosphorescence, thermally activated delayed fluorescence, and single-molecule white-light emission, as proved by experiments and theoretical calculations. Interestingly, combing advantages of both inorganic cluster and pi-conjugation in OIMHs, the time-dependent afterglow affords color-variable emission in a wide wavelength range larger than 100 nm, providing extra color-time dimensions for information encryption compared to traditional single-color fluorescent anti-counterfeiting. Moreover, white light-emitting diode device is further developed to show high lighting ability for the single-component OIMH. Therefore, this study paves an effective way to fabricate cluster-based single-component hybrids by equipping different emitters to confer diverse photoluminescence manners and satisfy down-to-earth application requirements.

Automated summary

By combining abundant multi-central luminescence and time-resolved, excitation-dependent ultralong phosphorescence with anti-counterfeiting design strategies, the development of multi-level and high-security systems for information encryption is achieved, providing extra color and time dimensions.