Heterogeneous Polymeric Matrix Induced Room-temperature Phosphorescence

Room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials based on phosphor-doped polymers have been studied for more than sixty years. In these polymer-based RTP materials, the intrinsic structures and properties of polymeric matrixes are critical to their triplet emission. However, RTP materials with non-homogeneous matrixes are rarely studied, and far too little attention has been paid to the possible interferences of structures and components of polymeric matrixes on the final photophysical properties. In this work, we reported RTP materials with phase-separated matrixes consisting of two incompatible polymers, i.e., polystyrene (PS) and polyisoprene (PI). By doping difluoroboron β-diketonate derivatives into the blends or block copolymers of PS and PI, bright and long-lived green RTP emissions can be obtained under ambient conditions, while no afterglow can be observed in pure PS or PI homopolymers. The mechanism of triplet emission in heterogeneous matrixes was investigated. The findings of this work provide a new approach to the low-cost fabrication of RTP materials with comprehensive performances through high-throughput processing methods.