A multi-color and white-light emissive cucurbituril/ terpyridine/ lanthanide supramolecular nanofiber

Multi-color and white light luminescence materials based on supramolecular assemblies are attractive because of their potential applications in advanced light-emitting material. Herein, a cucurbit8]urilenhanced lanthanide luminescent supramolecular assembly was constructed in a facile but efficient way using terpyridine imidozalium cations, cucurbit8]urils and rare earth ions such as Tb³⁺ and Eu³⁺. Significantly, the resultant fibrous supramolecular assembly, with an average width of 15 nm, could emit remarkable lanthanide luminescence, which was ten times higher than the corresponding terpyridine/Ln³⁺ without cucurbit8]uril. And the solid state luminescence of supramolecular assembly could be smartly and easily turned among blue, green, red and white by adjusting the molar ratios between Tb³⁺ and Eu³⁺. The enhanced white-light emission by supramolecular strategy may provide a new approach for smart and tunable solid luminescent materials.