Transparent and Hazy EuxTb1–x-Nanopaper with Color-Tuning, Photo-Switching, and White Light-Emitting Properties for Anti-counterfeiting and Light-Softened WLEDs

Lanthanide (Ln) metal–organic frameworks (Ln-MOFs) have attracted attention in anti-counterfeiting and white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) due to their high quantum efficiency, long lifetimes, and characteristic linear spectrum. However, Ln-MOFs have some disadvantages, such as harsh luminescence modulation, low transparency, and poor film formation. In this study, Ln-MOF (Ln = Eu and/or Tb)-modified TEMPO-oxidized cellulose nanofibrils were employed for preparing transparent nanopapers and luminescence modulation. These luminescent nanopapers achieved an excellent light emission color tuning from green, yellow, and red under 365 nm excitation, while 254 nm radiation on these nanopapers only emitted characteristic pink light. Thus, the luminescent nanopapers combined color-tuning and photo-switching properties through the control of Eu3+/Tb3+ molar ratio and excitation wavelength (λEx at 365 and 254 nm), respectively, which greatly improved them for anti-counterfeiting applications. In addition, Ln-MOFs endowed these nanopapers with excellent optical haze (>90%), such that softening of white light from WLEDs was realized in 254 nm-driven UV-LED chips, corresponding white light with good color quality [Commission International de I’Eclairage coordinates, correlated color temperature, and color-rendering index of (0.34, 0.36), 5536 K and 86, respectively].