Multiple Defect-Induced High-Resolution Near-Infrared Mechanoluminescent Materials for Non-Destructive Detection of...

Mechanoluminescence (ML) materials, known for their ability to convert mechanical energy into light, are increasingly recognized for their potential applications, such as in intelligent stress sensing, in vivo bioimaging, and stress non-destructive monitoring. However, the low signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and narrow-band emission of single-defect-induced ML materials usually limit their biological-related practical applications. Here, these limitations will be addressed by modulating the microstructure evolution in Y₃Ga₃MgSiO₁₂:Cr³⁺ through the [Si⁴⁺+Mg²⁺] → [Ga³⁺+Ga³⁺] chemical substitution strategy. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation reveals the defect types and dynamic charge migration processes. In addition, Y₃Ga₃MgSiO₁₂: Cr³⁺ with continuously distributed "shallow-deep" defects (0.68-1.61 eV) can avoid persistent luminescence (PersL) and bright-field environment interference. Herein, such high SNR near-infrared broadband ML emission may provide a reliable way for high-quality biological non-destructive sensing and detection. Finally, benefiting from the different absorption of ML signals in glucose/lipid, one may find a novel non-invasive blood glucose/lipid testing technology in patients.