Flexible room-temperature-phosphorescence materials based on polymers with low glass-transition temperaturese

Abstract

Flexible room-temperature-phosphorescence (RTP) materials have attracted widespread attention due to their good stretchability, ease of deformation, and fatigue resistance. However, the stabilization of triplet excitons in RTP materials typically requires a crystalline or a rigid polymer matrix, which severely limits their mechanical flexibility at room temperature (300 K). To address this challenge, polymers with a glass-transition temperature below room temperature have emerged as a promising solution, offering a balance between matrix environment rigidification and efficient phosphorescence. This review focuses on polymer-based flexible RTP materials for low glass-transition temperatures. It begins by exploring the fundamental trade-off between mechanical flexibility and long-lived RTP emission. And then, a comprehensive overview of the molecular design principles, processing strategies, and mechanistic insights for long lifetime and high quantum yield RTP materials is provided. Finally, the review summarizes emerging applications of RTP materials in security information, stretchable displays, and wearable sensors, highlighting the transformative potential of these materials in the next-generation of flexible optoelectronics.