A novel self-activated ultraviolet persistent luminescence material and its anti-counterfeiting application based on intensity and time resolution from persistent luminescence

Recently, the ultraviolet (UV) persistent luminescence material (PLM) has attracted extensive attention. However, the design and development of new UV PLM and exploring their promising advanced application remain challenges. Here, we developed a new dopant-free self-activated UVA PLM, Zn 2 Al 2 SiO 7 , which could be applied in anti-counterfeiting field. Zn 2 Al 2 SiO 7 shows UVA persistent luminescence (PersL) peaking at 380 nm after 254 nm UV lamp excitation. Addition of Yb 3+ , the UVA PersL intensity and time are raised obviously, and the UVA PersL time lasts more than 24 h. In addition, Yb 3+ -doped Zn 2 Al 2 SiO 7 exhibits photostimulated properties with different light source. Finally, we design anti-counterfeiting pattern based on intensity and time resolution from PersL of Zn 2 Al 2 SiO 7 , showing its advantages in the anti-counterfeiting field. We report a novel self-activated ultraviolet persistent luminescence material Zn 2 Al 2 SiO 7 . Its PersL lasts more than 24 h by addition of Yb 3+ . An anti-counterfeiting pattern based on intensity and time resolution from PersL of Zn 2 Al 2 SiO 7 and Zn 2 Al 2 SiO 7 :Yb 3+ shows its advantage in the anti-counterfeiting field.