Ultraviolet-activated long-lived room-temperature phosphorescence from small organic molecule-doped polymer systems

Long-lived organic room-temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials have attracted widespread attention because of their fantastic properties and application prospects. The current methods for developing RTP materials are mainly based on the synthesis of new chromophore molecules and crystallization engineering. However, there are great challenges in the preparation of new chromophore molecules and the use of crystalline materials. Herein, dynamic stimulus-responsive long-lived RTP systems with various emission colors are realized by doping organic chromophore molecules into polymer matrix prepared from vinyl acetate and acrylic acid. Through UV light irradiation, the growth process of long-lived RTP phenomena can be observed for up to 10 s. In particular, the phosphorescence intensity, lifetime, afterglow brightness, and quantum yield of one representative film (P2-M2) increase by 155, 262, 414, and 8 times after the irradiation, respectively. The unique photophysical phenomena are ascribed to the oxygen consumption characteristics of the polymer matrix under UV irradiation. Meanwhile, the information storage devices are prepared with these RTP systems. This work provides a strategy for achieving small organic molecule-doped polymer RTP systems that are easy to prepare, low-cost, and widely adaptable.