Melt-Spun Photoluminescent Polymer Optical Fibers for Color-Tunable Textile Illumination

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Optoelectronics
• Polymer Chemistry

Background:

• Luminescent waveguides are gaining interest for applications like light concentrators and sensing.
• Polymer optical fibers (POFs) offer potential for tunable light emission through dye doping.
• Combining different luminescent dyes in POFs allows for adjustable emitted light colors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the tunable photoluminescent emission properties of yarns and textiles made from multicolor POFs.
• To demonstrate the adjustment of collective emission properties through energy transfer between dyed filaments.
• To tailor the color space of photoluminescent textiles by controlling luminophore concentration and light recapture.

Main Methods:

• Melt-spinning of polymer optical fibers (POFs) doped with individual luminescent dyes.
• Fabrication of yarns and textiles using these multicolor POFs.
• Measurement of superimposed photoluminescent emission spectra.
• Varying luminophore concentration to influence textile color.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated the ability to tune the color of emitted light from yarns and textiles by combining different luminescent POFs.
• Showcased adjustable collective emission properties due to energy transfer between dyed filaments.
• Successfully tailored the overall color of photoluminescent textiles by controlling luminophore concentration and light recapture.

Conclusions:

• Multicolor, melt-spun POFs provide a versatile platform for creating tunable luminescent textiles.
• The presented approach enables precise color control for applications in decorative illumination and UV down-conversion.
• Energy transfer mechanisms within these fiber assemblies are key to achieving a wide range of emission colors.