White-light-emitting
materials have attracted wide interest for
potential applications in information displays and lighting. To date,
the majority of reported white-light-emitting materials have been
multicomponent systems that are typically processed with organic solvents.
These features are associated with complex processing, poor white-light
quality, and environmental pollution. Herein, a white-light-emitting
aqueous system is realized by encapsulating a fluorophore, which has
a vibration-induced emission effect, in Pluronic F127 micelles. Tunable
multicolor fluorescence is achieved by changing the temperature, and
the use of organic solvents is effectively avoided. Through this process,
white-light emission with Commission Internationale de l’Eclairage
coordinates of (0.3351, 0.3326) is obtained, which is very close to
pure white light, and its color rendering index is as high as 89.
The fluorescence color tunability of this system could be performed
in a wide temperature range, rendering it a potential material in
optical thermometry. Besides, the aqueous system also allows for the
application of the material as a fluorescent ink and white-light-emitting
hydrogels. Information could be embedded in paper-based materials
and hydrogels through the fluorescence quenching effect of iron ions
(Fe3+) on the fluorophore. Fluorescence could then be recovered
upon removal of Fe3+ by adenosine 5′-triphosphate.
Thus, fluorescent patterning and triple-mode anti-counterfeiting could
be expected due to the temperature-sensitive emission, fluorescence
quenching, and recovering properties.