Recent progress on pure organic room temperature phosphorescence materials based on host-guest interactions

The inclusion of specific organic phosphorescent guest molecules by the host molecules can reduce the nonradiative transitions and engender room temperature phosphorescence emission.     

Crystallization-induced phosphorescence of pure organic luminogens

This review summarizes the recent progress of efficient room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) from pure organic luminogens achieved by crystallization-induced phosphorescence (CIP), with focus on the advances in our group. Besides homocrystals, mixed crystals and cocrystals are also discussed. Meanwhile, intriguing RTP emission from the luminogens without conventional chromophores is demonstrated.     

Regioisomerism effect (RIE) on optimizing ultralong organic phosphorescence lifetimes

Organic phosphorescence materials demonstrate potential optoelectronic applications due to their remarkably ultralong organic phosphorescence (UOP) lifetime and abundant optical characteristics prior to the fluorescence materials. For a better insight into the intrinsic relationship among regioisomeric molecules, crystalline interactions, and phosphorescence properties, three crystalline dicarbazol-9-yl pyrazine-based regioisomers with para-, meta-, and ortho-convergent substitutions (p-DCzP, m-DCzP, and o-DCzP) were designed and presented gradually increased UOP lifetimes prolonging from 63.14, 127.93 to 350.46 ms, respectively, due to the regioisomerism effect (RIE) which would be an effective strategy for better understanding of structure-property of UOP materials.     

Achieving room temperature phosphorescence from organic small molecules on amino acid skeleton

Room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) generated by small molecules has attracted great attention due to their unique potentials for biosensor, bioimaging and security protection. While, the design of RTP materials is extremely challenging for organic small molecules in non-crystalline solid state. Herein, we report a new strategy for achieving non-crystalline organic small molecules with RTP emission by modifying different phosphors onto diphenylalanine or phenylalanine derivatives. Benefiting from the skeletal structure of the amino acid derivatives, there are intermolecular hydrogen bond formation and rigidification effect, thereby minimizing the intermolecular motions and enhancing their RTP performance     

Achieving room temperature phosphorescence from organic small molecules on amino acid skeleton

Room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) generated by small molecules has attracted great attention due to their unique potentials for biosensor, bioimaging and security protection. While, the design of RTP materials is extremely challenging for organic small molecules in non-crystalline solid state. Herein, we report a new strategy for achieving non-crystalline organic small molecules with RTP emission by modifying different phosphors onto diphenylalanine or phenylalanine derivatives. Benefiting from the skeletal structure of the amino acid derivatives, there are intermolecular hydrogen bond formation and rigidification effect, thereby minimizing the intermolecular motions and enhancing their RTP performance     

Effect of small organic molecules on room temperature phosphorescence properties of naphthol ternary inclusion complexes in β-cyclodextrin

The influence of nine small organic molecules on the phosphorescence properties of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD)/1-naphthol/1,2-dibromoethane (DBE) and β-CD/2-naphthol/DBE ternary inclusion complexes are examined by means of room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) measurements. It was demonstrated that the rigidity of β-CD/naphthol inclusion complex, RTP intensity and lifetime could be enhanced when different small organic molecules (less than 1% v/v) were added respectively; the analytical characters of two kinds of naphthols in host-guest stabilized-RTP were improved. The linear range of 1-naphthol become broad in the presence of n-propanol, methanol, ethanol or 2-propanol and its detection limit was reduced from 4×10⁻⁶ to 7.5×10⁻⁸ mol l⁻¹ in the presence of 0.6% (v/v) methanol. Likewise, for 2-naphthol, the detection limit was reduced from 2.0×10⁻⁶ to 2.8×10⁻⁷ mol l⁻¹ and to 8.1×10⁻⁷ mol l⁻¹ after 0.5% (v/v) glycol and 0.2% (v/v) 2-propanol being added, respectively.     

Solid substrate room temperature phosphorescence immunoassay based on an antibody labeled with tetramethylrhodamine B isothiocyanate

Solid substrate room temperature phosphorescence immunoassay (SS-RTP-IA) based on an antibody labeled with tetramethylrhodamine B isothiocyanate (TRITC) was described. The SS-RTP properties of rabbit anti-goat antibody labeled with TRITC (RAGAb-TRITC) and its immune complex with goat-immunoglobulin G (G-IgG) were studied on a polyamide membrane (PM). The results showed that RAGAb-TRITC can react specifically with G-IgG on a PM, and retain the excellent SS-RTP property of TRITC, λ_ex^max/λ_em^max=558 nm/700 nm. The dependence of the phosphorescence intensity on the amount of antigen G-IgG (in a sample volume of 0.4 μl) was linear. Compared with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), this assay showed a lower detection limit (0.37 pg per spot), a better linear relationship and a wider dynamic range (0.62–30 pg). The method was applied directly to determination of G-IgG in goat serum and the results agreed well with those obtained by ELISA. Therefore, this study shows the high sensitivity in SS-RTP and specificity of the immunological reaction. Moreover, it is a simple but powerful procedure.     

Determination of human IgG by solid substrate room temperature phosphorescence immunoassay based on an antibody labeled with nanoparticles containing dibromofluorescein luminescent molecules

Luminescent silicon dioxide nano-particles with size of 20 nm, which containing dibromofluorescein (D) were synthesized by sol-gel method (symbolized by D-SiO₂).The particles can emit intense and stable room temperature phosphorescence signal on polyamide membrane when Pb(Ac)₂ was used as a heavy atom perturber. The λ_exmax/λ_emmax was 457/622 nm. Our research indicated that the specific immune reaction between goat-anti-human IgG antibody labeled with D-SiO₂ and human IgG could be carried out on polyamide membrane quantitatively, and the phosphorescence intensity of the particle was enhanced after the immunoreactions. Thus a new method of solid substrate room temperature phosphorescence immunoassay (SS-RTP-IA) for the determination of human IgG was established basing on antibody labeled with the D-SiO₂ nanoparticles. The linear range of this method was 0.0624-20.0 pg human IgG spot⁻¹ (corresponding concentration: 0.156-50.0 ng ml⁻¹, the sample volume: 0.40 μl spot⁻¹) with a limit of detection (LD) as 0.018 pg spot⁻¹, and the regression equation of working curve was ΔI_p = 7.201 m_IgG (pg spot⁻¹) + 82.57. Samples containing 0.156 and 50.0 ng ml⁻¹ of IgG were measured repeatedly for 11 times and R.S.D.s were 4.1 and 3.4%, respectively. Results showed that this method had the merits as sensitive, accurate and precise.     

Determination of trace levels of mercury in water samples based on room temperature phosphorescence energy transfer

A novel method has been developed for the sensitive determination of mercury in aqueous media by room temperature phosphorescence (RTP). The measurement principle is based on the energy transfer (ET) from a phosphor molecule (acting as a donor) to a Hg-sensitive dye (acceptor). To our acknowledgment this is the first RTP method for mercury measurement developed so far. α-Bromonaphthalene (BrN) was selected as the phosphorescent donor molecule (BrN can produce significant RTP emission in aqueous media in a β-cyclodextrin rigid microenvironment without deoxygenation).The absorption spectrum of the complex formed between mercury and the dithizone dye possesses a desirable spectral overlap with the RTP emission spectrum of the donor (BrN), giving rise to a nonradiative ET from the phosphor molecules to the mercury complex. An increase in the concentration of Hg(II) causes an increase on the concentration of the dithizone complex (acceptor) with the subsequent increase of the absorbance and, therefore, resulting in a decrease of the RTP emission. Both, RTP intensities and triplet lifetimes of the BrN decreased with increases on the Hg(II) concentration.Possible interferences present in natural waters, including different cations and anions, which could affect the analytical response, were evaluated and the analytical performance characteristics investigated. The use of phosphorescence measurements (low background noise signals) resulted in an improvement on the sensitivity of the Hg(II) detection higher than five times as compared to the molecular absorption spectrophotometric method for Hg(II) detection based on dithizone as Hg-indicator. A detection limit (D.L.) of 14 ng ml⁻¹ of Hg(II) was obtained by RTP with a precision of ±4.8% for five replicates of 300 ng ml⁻¹ of Hg(II). The usefulness of the method was successfully evaluated by the determination of Hg(II) in spiked natural water samples.     

Enhanced room temperature phosphorescence of palladium‐porphyrin by dual‐ordered structure of micelle‐hybridized supramolecular gels

Meso‐tetra (carbonyl phenyl) porphyrin palladium (denoted as Pd‐TCPP), a typical organometallic compound, was used as phosphor and entrapped in micelle‐hybridized supramolecular hydrogels. As a novel matrix material of phosphors, the hybrid system was comprised of two ordered structures: a supramolecular 3D network structure formed by the self‐assembly of the gelator and the micelles formed from a Gemini surfactant. The dual‐ordered structure of the system was verified by SEM, TEM and fluorescent optical microscopy. By contrast with corresponding mono‐ordered structure, the room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) of Pd‐TCPP was greatly enhanced by the dual‐ordered structure of the system. The enhancement mechanism of RTP was studied by hydrophobicity of the system, RTP quenching and disassembly of supramolecular aggregates. Enhanced RTP could be attributed to the efficient inhibition of the non‐radiative transition of Pd‐TCPP by dual‐ordered structures. Significantly, the RTP intensity of Pd‐TCPP can be adjusted by changing the concentration of Gemini surfactants. Furthermore, deoxygenation was not required in this hybrid system in comparison with corresponding mono‐component systems.     

Determination of trace silver by solid substrate room temperature phosphorescence quenching method based on lead carboxymethyl cellulose particles (Pb(CMC)2) containing luminescent salicyl fluorenes molecules

Luminescent particles of lead carboxymethyl cellulose (Pb(CMC)2) containing salicyl fluorones (THBF), Pb(CMC)2-THBF were synthesized by the sol-gel method, using sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (NaCMC) as precursor and Pb2+ as precipitant. Pb(CMC)2-THBF can emit the intense and stable solid substrate room temperature phosphorescence (SS-RTP) on filter paper. And EDTA can chelate Pb2+ in Pb(CMC)2-THBF, causing it to decompose into aqueous soluble components PbY2-, CMC- and THBF, which can react with Ag+ to form Ag(CMC)2-THBF, causing the decrease of phosphorescence intensity. Based on the facts above, a new method for the determination of trace silver by SS-RTP quenching method was established. The linear range of this method is 8.0-40.0 fg spot(-1) (20.0-100.0 pg ml(-1)), with a detection limit (LD) of 2.2 fg spot(-1) (corresponding to a concentration range of 5.5 x 10(-13) g ml(-1)), and the regression equation of working curve is DeltaI(p) = 12.56 + 0.5527C(Ag+) (fg spot(-1), 0.4 microl spot(-1)), n = 8, r = 0.9992. This method has been applied to the determination of trace silver in human hair and tea sample with satisfactory results. The mechanism of SS-RTP emission is also discussed.     

Determination of trace mercury by solid substrate room temperature phosphorescence quenching method based on lead carboxymethyl cellulose (Pb(CMC)(2)) particles containing luminescent salicyl fluorones molecules

Luminescent particles of lead carboxymethyl cellulose (Pb(CMC)₂), which contains salicyl fluorones (THBF), Pb(CMC)₂-THBF, were synthesized by sol-gel method. Pb(CMC)₂-THBF can emit intense and stable solid substrate room temperature phosphorescence (SS-RTP) on filter paper. EDTA can chelate the Pb²⁺ in Pb(CMC)₂-THBF, causing it decompose into aqueous soluble components PbY²⁻, CMC⁻ and THBF, and these components can react with Hg²⁺ to form (CMC)₂Hg-THBF, causing decrease of phosphorescence intensity. Based on the facts above, a new method for the determination of trace mercury by SS-RTP quenching method was established. The linear range of this method is 2.0-40.0 fg spot⁻¹ (5.0-100.0 pg ml⁻¹) of Hg²⁺, with a detection limit (LD) of 0.26 fg spot⁻¹, and the regression equation of working curve is (fg spot⁻¹, 0.4 μl spot⁻¹), r = 0.9994. This method has been applied to the determination of trace mercury in water sample with satisfactory results. The mechanism of SS-RTP emission is also discussed.     

Chiral discrimination of quinine and quinidine based on notable room temperature phosphorescence lifetime differences with γ-cyclodextrin as chiral selector

Upon addition of small amount of bromocyclohexane (BrCH), quinine (QN) and quinidine (QD) display strong room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) in γ-cyclodextrin (γ-CD) solution without deoxygenation. The associated phosphorescence decay curves can be best fitted to biexponential patterns and quite different RTP lifetimes are obtained for QN (86.9 and 12.5 ms) and QD (12.1 and 4.17 ms), indicating a distinct chiral discrimination of γ-CD toward this pair of pseudo-enantiomers. The corresponding association constants evaluated for QN/γ-CD/BrCH and QD/γ-CD/BrCH are 3.47 × 10⁵ and 4.67 × 10⁴ L mol⁻¹, respectively. It can be inferred that their different ability to form complexes with the chiral γ-CD is accounted for the notable difference in RTP lifetimes between QN and QD.     

Subtle structure tailoring of metal-free triazine luminogens for highly efficient ultralong organic phosphorescence

Ultralong organic phosphorescent materials have invoked considerable attention for their great potential in sensing, data encryption, information anti-counterfeiting and so forth. However, effective ways to achieve highly efficient ultralong organic phosphorescence (UOP) in metal-free organic materials remain a great challenge. Herein, we designed three isomers based on asymmetric triazines with various bromine substituted positions. Impressively, phosphorescence efficiency of p-BrAT in solid state can reach up to 9.7% with a long lifetime of 386 ms, which was one of the highest efficient UOP materials reported so far. Theoretical calculations further demonstrated that para-substitution exhibited the most effective radiative transition for triplet excitons. These results will provide an effective approach to achieving highly efficient UOP materials.