Ultralong and Thermally Enhanced Persistent Luminescence in Printable Recycled Polymers for Advanced Thermal Imaging

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Organic Chemistry
• Photophysics

Background:

• Achieving hour-level long persistent luminescence (LPL) in fully organic materials with high thermal stability is challenging due to exciton quenching and thermal degradation.
• Existing organic LPL materials often lack the robustness required for demanding applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a fully organic polymer-based LPL system with ultralong duration and exceptional thermal robustness.
• To engineer deep trap states for enhanced luminescence persistence and thermal stability.

Main Methods:

• Trap engineering using rigidified triphenylamine derivatives and boronic ester functionalization.
• Embedding functionalized molecules within recycled poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET).
• Characterization of luminescence lifetimes, thermal enhancement, and photo-stimulated capabilities.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated ambient LPL lifetimes exceeding 12 hours.
• Achieved a 56-fold thermal enhancement of luminescence at 500 K, surpassing inorganic phosphors.
• Fabricated 3D-printed structures with retained LPL functionality for thermal sensing and damage detection.

Conclusions:

• Introduced the first fully organic polymer-based LPL system with simultaneous ultralong duration and exceptional thermal robustness.
• Established a sustainable and scalable platform for advanced thermal imaging and optoelectronics.
• Set a new benchmark for heat-resistant organic LPL materials, bridging performance and environmental compatibility.