Full-Color Dynamic Afterglow in Carbon Dot-Based Materials Regulated by Dual-Phosphorescence Resonance Energy...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Photophysics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Developing materials with tunable, time-dependent afterglow colors is a significant challenge in materials science.
• Existing phosphorescent materials often lack the ability to display a wide range of colors that change over time.

Purpose of the Study:

• To create a novel composite material exhibiting time-dependent phosphorescence colors (TDPCs).
• To engineer a dual-phosphorescence resonance energy transfer (PRET) system for dynamic full-color afterglow.
• To explore applications in information encryption and 3D artworks.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of carbon dots (CDs) embedded in porous alumina (Al2O3) via calcination.
• Photophysical characterization to determine phosphorescence origins and lifetimes.
• Construction of a PRET system using CDs@Al2O3 donor and various Rhodamine dyes as acceptors in an epoxy resin matrix.

Main Results:

• The CDs@Al2O3 composite showed TDPCs from blue to green, with distinct lifetimes for blue (214 ms, carbon core) and green (915 ms, surface state) emission.
• The PRET system achieved dynamic full-color afterglow from blue to red with high quantum yields (up to 48.2%).
• Successful demonstration of applications in multidimensional information encryption and polychrome 3D artworks.

Conclusions:

• The developed CDs@Al2O3 composite and subsequent PRET system offer a versatile platform for tunable, time-dependent afterglow materials.
• The ability to control color emission over time opens new avenues for advanced security features and artistic expressions.
• This work highlights the potential of rationally designed nanomaterials for sophisticated optoelectronic applications.