Pressure-induced white light emission based on a single-component organic molecule

White light-emitting diodes hold great significance in the realm of lighting technology, as they possess the potential to considerably reduce energy consumption and mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. Nonetheless, transitioning individual organic molecules from emitting no white light to bright white-light remains an arduous task. In this paper, we present a straightforward and highly efficient approach known as compression, which successfully induces the transition from dark to radiant white luminescence. Unexpectedly, we have discovered that the molecule transformed from exhibiting no white light emission under ambient pressure to emitting brilliant white light with Commission Internationale de I'Éclairage coordinates of (0.31, 0.32) at 0.8 GPa. Furthermore, the intensity of the emitted light increased by more than tenfold. By employing steady-state absorption and fluorescence, transient-state spectra measurements, and density functional theory simulation, we elucidated that the distinct responses of luminescence to pressure can be attributed to the effective manipulation of molecular structure. Our work represents the pioneering utilization of compression as a robust tool in the fabrication of white light and the optimization of luminescent properties using a simple-component organic molecule.