Recent Advances in Doped Mechanoluminescent Phosphors

Mechanoluminescence (ML) is a phenomenon characterized by photon emission in response to mechanical stimulus. ML is usually observed in inorganic crystals that produce strain electric fields if deformed. After being doped with luminescent lanthanide and transition-metal ions, ML can be significantly enhanced and rationally tuned, which leads to promising applications, such as light sources, displays, and advanced sensors to probe the dynamic stress distribution over a large area. This Minireview focuses on recent developments in the design and synthesis of doped ML phosphors, as well as highlighting state-of-the-art applications of these phosphors.