Zn(II) Schiff Bases: Bright TADF Emitters for Self-referenced Decay Time-Based Optical Temperature Sensing

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) is a highly temperature-dependent process and can be used in optical thermometry. TADF-based optical thermometers reported so far show fairly high-temperature sensitivity but have poor brightness and significant oxygen cross-talk. A new class of TADF emitters, Zn(II) Schiff base complexes, possess excellent brightness and high temperature sensitivity of the decay time at ambient temperature (4.1%/K change of TADF lifetime at 25 °C), enabling a resolution better than 0.03 °C. Oxygen cross-sensitivity is eliminated by covering the sensing layer (luminophore in polystyrene) with an off-stoichiometry thiol-ene polymer as an oxygen-consuming layer, and a poly(vinylidene chloride-co-acrylonitrile) layer as an oxygen barrier. The material is stable after more than 2 months of storage at ambient air, which enables long-term temperature monitoring.