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Markedly Strengthened Delayed Fluorescence and Processability in Crystalline Hybrids via Solvation-Enhanced
Wen-Jing Shi1, Rui-Hong Wang1, Jun Chen2
1School of Chemistry, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian116024, China.
The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters
|May 29, 2026
Summary
Researchers developed a new method to improve crystalline afterglow materials, making them easier to process and enhancing their light-emitting properties. This breakthrough offers tunable, long-lasting luminescence in cost-effective materials.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemistry
- Solid-State Physics
Background:
- Crystalline afterglow materials exhibit significant potential for applications but are limited by poor processability.
- Developing materials with both excellent luminescence and processability is a key challenge in materials science.
Purpose of the Study:
- To enhance both the processability and luminescence of crystalline afterglow materials.
- To introduce a novel strategy based on solvation-enhanced self-dissolution-recrystallization.
Main Methods:
- Preparation of two low-cost, nonaromatic inorganic-organic afterglow hybrids featuring solvated Zn2+ ions.
- Utilizing host-guest doping for tuning room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) color and lifetimes.
- Employing thermal annealing to enhance RTP and activate delayed fluorescence (DF).
Main Results:
- Achieved wide-range tuning of RTP color and extended lifetimes through host-guest doping.
- Enhanced RTP and significantly activated DF (up to 254× increase in DF lifetime) via thermal annealing.
- Demonstrated excellent processability through self-dissolution-recrystallization enabled by lattice water, with full recovery via water vapor fumigation.
Conclusions:
- The solvation-enhanced self-dissolution-recrystallization strategy successfully improves processability and luminescence in crystalline afterglow materials.
- The developed inorganic-organic hybrids offer tunable, multimodal, long-lived luminescence with enhanced properties through thermal treatment.
- This work presents a new design pathway for cost-effective, processable crystalline materials with advanced luminescent capabilities.
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