Photocured room temperature phosphorescent materials from lignosulfonate

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Polymer Chemistry
• Photochemistry

Background:

• Photocured room temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials are highly desirable for practical applications but remain underexplored.
• Developing efficient and versatile RTP materials is crucial for advancing technologies in sensing, imaging, and security.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop novel photocured RTP materials using readily available components.
• To investigate the mechanism of RTP generation and explore potential applications in coatings, inks, and information encryption.

Main Methods:

• Synthesized photocured RTP materials (P-Lig) by combining lignosulfonate, acrylamide, and an ionic liquid (1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium bromide).
• Utilized UV irradiation to initiate polymerization, confining lignosulfonate within a crosslinked acrylamide matrix.
• Investigated energy transfer mechanisms with Rhodamine B (RhB) for enhanced emission properties.

Main Results:

• Achieved RTP with an emission lifetime of approximately 110 ms from lignosulfonate confined within the P-Lig matrix.
• Demonstrated tunable red afterglow emission through energy transfer between P-Lig and Rhodamine B (RhB).
• Successfully utilized P-Lig and P-Lig/RhB as photocured RTP coatings and inks for 3D material fabrication and information encryption.

Conclusions:

• Successfully developed a novel photocured RTP material (P-Lig) with lignosulfonate as both a chromophore and photoinitiator.
• The P-Lig system exhibits promising long-lasting RTP and tunable afterglow properties, suitable for diverse applications.
• This work provides a new pathway for designing advanced photocured phosphorescent materials for practical uses.