Sustainable Afterglow Room-Temperature Phosphorescence Emission Materials Generated Using Natural Phenolics

Long-lived afterglow room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) from natural phenolics has seldom been reported yet this is essential for the development of sustainable afterglow RTP materials. With this research, we have prepared sustainable afterglow RTP materials (GA@SA) with a lifetime of up to approximate to 934.7 ms by embedding gallic acid (GA) within a Ca2+-crosslinked sodium alginate (SA) matrix. Theoretical simulations indicate that the restricted carbonyl moieties of the GA and H-type aggregates of GA in a SA matrix promoted the spin orbit coupling (SOC) of GA and induced afterglow emission. Moreover, afterglow RTP emission could be produced by embedding different types of natural phenolics such as, tannic acid, caffeic acid and chlorogenic acid into Ca2+-crosslinked networks of SA. As an illustration of potential applications, GA@SA was used to prepare anti-counterfeit afterglow clothing and paper. This work provides an innovative method for the activation of long-lived afterglow RTP from sustainable phenolics.

Automated summary

In this study, sustainable afterglow room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials were successfully prepared by embedding gallic acid (GA) within a Ca2+-crosslinked sodium alginate (SA) matrix. The long-lived afterglow RTP emission was achieved through the promotion of spin orbit coupling (SOC) of GA in a SA matrix. Additionally, different types of natural phenolics can also induce afterglow RTP emission when embedded in the Ca2+-crosslinked networks of SA. The potential applications of these materials, such as anti-counterfeit clothing and paper, were demonstrated. This work provides an innovative method for activating long-lived afterglow RTP from sustainable phenolics.