Smart responsive phosphorescent materials for data recording and security protection.
Smart luminescent materials that are responsive to external stimuli have received considerable interest. Here we report ionic iridium (III) complexes simultaneously exhibiting mechanochromic, vapochromic and electrochromic phosphorescence. These complexes share the same phosphorescent iridium (III) cation with a N-H moiety in the N^N ligand and contain different anions, including hexafluorophosphate, tetrafluoroborate, iodide, bromide and chloride. The anionic counterions cause a variation in the emission colours of the complexes from yellow to green by forming hydrogen bonds with the N-H proton. The electronic effect of the N-H moiety is sensitive towards mechanical grinding, solvent vapour and electric field, resulting in mechanochromic, vapochromic and electrochromic phosphorescence. On the basis of these findings, we construct a data-recording device and demonstrate data encryption and decryption via fluorescence lifetime imaging and time-gated luminescence imaging techniques. Our results suggest that rationally designed phosphorescent complexes may be promising candidates for advanced data recording and security protection.
1] Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics & Information Displays and Institute of Advanced Materials, Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China [2] Institute of Advanced Materials and Jiangsu-Singapore Joint Research Center for Organic/Bio- Electronics & Information Displays, Nanjing Tech University, 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, China [3].
Huibin
H
Sun
1] Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics & Information Displays and Institute of Advanced Materials, Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China [2].
Shujuan
S
Liu
Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics & Information Displays and Institute of Advanced Materials, Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China.
Wenpeng
W
Lin
Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics & Information Displays and Institute of Advanced Materials, Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China.
Kenneth Yin
KY
Zhang
Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics & Information Displays and Institute of Advanced Materials, Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China.
Wen
W
Lv
Institute of Advanced Materials and Jiangsu-Singapore Joint Research Center for Organic/Bio- Electronics & Information Displays, Nanjing Tech University, 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, China.
Xiao
X
Huang
Institute of Advanced Materials and Jiangsu-Singapore Joint Research Center for Organic/Bio- Electronics & Information Displays, Nanjing Tech University, 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, China.
Fengwei
F
Huo
Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics & Information Displays and Institute of Advanced Materials, Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China.
Huiran
H
Yang
1] Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics & Information Displays and Institute of Advanced Materials, Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China [2] Institute of Advanced Materials and Jiangsu-Singapore Joint Research Center for Organic/Bio- Electronics & Information Displays, Nanjing Tech University, 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, China.
Gareth
G
Jenkins
Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics & Information Displays and Institute of Advanced Materials, Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China.
Qiang
Q
Zhao
1] Key Laboratory for Organic Electronics & Information Displays and Institute of Advanced Materials, Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications, 9 Wenyuan Road, Nanjing 210023, China [2] Institute of Advanced Materials and Jiangsu-Singapore Joint Research Center for Organic/Bio- Electronics & Information Displays, Nanjing Tech University, 30 South Puzhu Road, Nanjing 211816, China.
Wei
W
Huang