Nonaromatic\nPolymers with Tunable Clusteroluminescence\nand Long-Lived Room-Temperature Phosphorescence

Organic room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials\nhave garnered\nsignificant attention for their potential applications in anticounterfeiting\nauthentication and bioimaging, due to their large Stokes shift and\nprolonged phosphorescence lifetime. However, the traditional RTP materials\noften suffer from drawbacks such as a complex preparation process\nand poor biocompatibility due to the presence of aromatic structures.\nIn this study, we present a series of nontraditional intrinsic clusteroluminescent\nmaterials that exhibit RTP by introducing the concerted interactions\nof strong multiple ionic bonds and hydrogen bonds (H-bonds). A class\nof poly(maleic anhydride-<i>alt</i>-vinyl acetate) (PMV)\nderivatives with phosphorescence emission are obtained by hydrolysis\nof PMV. On the basis of these experiments, poly(maleic anhydride-acrylamide)\n(PMA) derivatives were prepared with a maximum phosphorescence lifetime\nof 442 ms and a quantum yield of 21% utilizing hydrogen bonding in\nthe amide groups and ionic bonding induced by alcoholysis under alkaline\nconditions. The findings reveal that the strategic introduction of\nionic bonds promotes conformational rigidification, while robust H-bonds\nfurther restrict molecular motion, thereby minimizing nonradiative\ndecay pathways and leading to efficient RTP. Information encryption\nand humidity detection based on this material have been proven with\nits unique and sensitive water response properties.