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Solvent-Responsive Afterglow Switching in a Coordination Polymer and Its Application for DMSO Detection
Rui-Hong Wang1, Jun Chen2, Wen-Tao Song1
1School of Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China.
Inorganic Chemistry
|April 16, 2026
Summary
This study introduces a novel porous coordination polymer (CP) that switches from weak phosphorescence to strong green afterglow when exposed to dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). This material enables sensitive detection of DMSO in mixed solvents.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Porous coordination polymers (CPs) offer tunable host-guest chemistry but struggle with reversible afterglow switching in suspensions due to quenching.
- Molecular collisions and oxygen typically quench luminescence in solution-based materials.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a two-dimensional bilayer porous CP with switchable afterglow properties.
- To investigate the solvent-regulated luminescence switching behavior of the CP in mixed-solvent systems.
- To explore the potential of this CP for advanced chemical sensing applications.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of a two-dimensional bilayer porous CP (1).
- Investigation of luminescence properties in various "DMSO + X" mixed-solvent suspensions.
- Analysis of switching behaviors including abrupt, gradual, and multistage transitions.
- Mechanistic studies to understand the afterglow activation mechanism.
Main Results:
- The synthesized CP (1) exhibits short-lived room temperature phosphorescence (378.1 μs).
- Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) activates a strong green afterglow with a long lifetime (102.1 ms).
- Three distinct solvent-dependent luminescence switching behaviors were observed: abrupt, gradual, and multistage.
- A low limit of detection (0.39% v/v) for DMSO in ethyl acetate was achieved.
- Mechanistic studies indicated enhanced structural rigidity and frontier-orbital delocalization contribute to afterglow activation.
Conclusions:
- The developed CP demonstrates effective solvent-regulated afterglow switching.
- The material shows significant potential for sensitive chemical sensing, particularly for DMSO detection.
- This work highlights CPs as versatile platforms for designing responsive luminescent materials.
