Discovering and Dissecting Mechanically Excited Luminescence of Mn²⁺ Activators via Matrix Microstructure Evolution

Abstract

Mechanoluminescent (ML) materials featuring renewable mechanical‐to‐optical conversion have shown promising prospects in stress sensing, lighting, and display. However, the advancement in ML applications is being restrained by the obstacles in developing efficient ML materials and understanding the underlying ML mechanisms. Herein, a matrix evolution strategy to modulate the local microstructure and electronic environment around the luminescent activators is proposed, which not only supports the batch development of new ML materials but also provides a well‐connected platform for systematically revealing the mechanism of achieving efficient ML performance. The feasibility of the strategy is proved by constructing and evaluating a series of ML materials with matrix‐dependent luminescent properties in experimental‐theoretical collaboration. It is demonstrated that the construction of piezoluminescence is available in both non‐centrosymmetric and centrosymmetric matrices without being restricted by lattice symmetry. The inter‐electronic‐levels and shallow electron traps formed by activator doping enhance the electron recombination efficiency through tunneling and conduction band transfer pathways. The results are expected to accelerate the exploitation of ML material systems and to deepen the comprehensive apprehending of ML mechanisms, thereby guiding the rational design and widespread use of efficient ML materials.

Self-Reduction-Related Defects, Long Afterglow, and Mechanoluminescence in Centrosymmetric Li2ZnGeO4:Mn2+

“…Moreover, in the process of revising the manuscript, a recently published work has attracted our attention, in which the same mechanoluminescent material Li 2 ZnGeO 4 :xMn 2+ was synthesized by matrix microstructure evolution. 57 It is enlightening work, which gets satisfactory results by different strategies from ours. Anyway, long-term research shows that constructing appropriate defect energy levels is a necessary condition for developing new mechanoluminescent materials.…”

“…This elastico-ML is reproducible when the deformation is restricted within the elastic range. Moreover, in the process of revising the manuscript, a recently published work has attracted our attention, in which the same mechanoluminescent material Li 2 ZnGeO 4 : x Mn 2+ was synthesized by matrix microstructure evolution . It is enlightening work, which gets satisfactory results by different strategies from ours.…”

Defect Enrichment in Near Inverse Spinel Configuration to Enhance the Persistent Luminescence of Fe3+

“…This phenomenon can be ascribed to the trap-assisted long distance energy transfer between the adjacent luminescent centers, which is consistent with the previous report on mechanoluminescent material systems (Figure 2f). [46,47] With the participation of traps, energy hopping in the host lattice can proceed over a longer interionic distance between adjacent Fe 3+ activators, resulting in a lower quenching concentration. The sintering time of the synthesis process was optimized to be 6 h in this work (Figure S7, Supporting Information).…”

Multiple Color Emission of Mechanoluminescence and Photoluminescence from SrZnSO: Bi3+ for Multi-mode Anti-counterfeiting

“…All the decay curves can be well fitted by the second-order exponential equation [38]: ions concentration increasing. However, the strongest ML does not (x = 0.01) appear in the materials with the deepest depth (x = 0.001) or the highest trap concentration (x = 0.04), which implies the complexity of carrier transport in the current ML system [39].…”