Enhancing Purely Organic Room Temperature Phosphorescence via Supramolecular Self-Assembly

Adv Mater. 2024 May;36(18):e2311922. doi: 10.1002/adma.202311922. Epub 2024 Feb 5.

Abstract

Long-lived and highly efficient room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials are in high demand for practical applications in lighting and display, security signboards, and anti-counterfeiting. Achieving RTP in aqueous solutions, near-infrared (NIR) phosphorescence emission, and NIR-excited RTP are crucial for applications in bio-imaging, but these goals pose significant challenges. Supramolecular self-assembly provides an effective strategy to address the above problems. This review focuses on the recent advances in the enhancement of RTP via supramolecular self-assembly, covering four key aspects: small molecular self-assembly, cocrystals, the self-assembly of macrocyclic hosts and guests, and multi-stage supramolecular self-assembly. This review not only highlights progress in these areas but also underscores the prominent challenges associated with developing supramolecular RTP materials. The resulting strategies for the development of high-performance supramolecular RTP materials are discussed, aiming to satisfy the practical applications of RTP materials in biomedical science.

Keywords: cocrystal; host–guest interactions; multi‐stage assembly; room temperature phosphorescence; supramolecular self‐assembly.

Publication types

  • Review