A Bifunctional Luminescent Whitening and Sensing Material Based on Photoluminescence and Mechanoluminescence

A bifunctional luminescent whitening and luminescent sensing composite material, BaMgAl₁₂O₁₇:Eu²⁺/polydimethylsiloxane (BAM/PDMS), that utilizes natural sunlight and mechanical energy is presented. By increasing the Eu²⁺ content, the photoluminescence (PL) excitation spectrum of the material shows a maximum redshift of 23 nm due to 5d level splitting of Eu²⁺, resulting in more spectral overlap with sunlight and an excellent PL whitening effect. Meanwhile, the self-recoverable mechanoluminescence (ML) of the material can be easily excited under mechanical stimuli due to contact electrification, exhibiting a unique stress sensing effect. Based on the unique features of PL whitening and ML sensing, the material is applied to model cars through a spray process, and the results demonstrate that the bifunctional BAM/PDMS material shows promising applications in automobile decoration.