Multicolor room-temperature phosphorescence induced by aggregation and TS-FRET in carbon dot composites

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology
• Photophysics

Background:

• Carbon dots (CDs) are promising nanomaterials for advanced applications.
• Achieving efficient and tunable room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) in CDs remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a strategy for achieving broadly tunable, multicolor RTP from carbon dots.
• To enhance the phosphorescence properties of CDs by embedding them in a boric acid matrix.
• To explore the application of these tunable phosphorescent materials in anti-counterfeiting technologies.

Main Methods:

• One-step hydrothermal synthesis of carbon dots (CDs).
• Embedding CDs within a boric acid (BA) matrix to enhance RTP.
• A two-step strategy involving modulation of CD aggregation and introduction of an energy-transfer mechanism.
• Characterization of photoluminescence and afterglow properties.

Main Results:

• Successfully achieved tunable afterglow emission from blue to pink (450-606 nm), with a redshift of up to 157 nm.
• Maximum afterglow lifetime of 2.01 seconds was recorded.
• Demonstrated precise control over aggregation-induced emission and energy transfer for color tuning.
• CD@BA composites showed effective application in anti-counterfeiting labels.

Conclusions:

• The developed sequential strategy enables fine-tuning and broad expansion of afterglow color in carbon dot systems.
• The CD@BA composites exhibit significant potential for advanced information encryption and anti-counterfeiting applications.
• This approach offers a flexible design space for multicolor phosphorescent carbon dot materials.