Clusterization-triggered room-temperature phosphorescent synthetic polymeric materials

Clusterization-triggered room-temperature phosphorescent (CTRTP) polymeric materials do not contain classical chromophores, and possess the advantages of long emission lifetime, robust mechanical properties, good processability and low biotoxicity, holding immense potential for applications across various fields, including flexible displays, organic optoelectronic devices, and in vivo imaging. In recent years, considerable progress has been made in this field, leading to an expanded variety of polymeric materials, a deeper understanding of the photo-luminescence mechanisms, and substantial improvements in the emission properties. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the research advancements in the CTRTP synthetic polymeric materials. It begins with a discussion of the photo-luminescence mechanisms, offering a detailed introduction of the variety of CTRTP synthetic polymeric materials. Next, the key strategies to construct the CTRTP polymeric materials are summarized, including introducing heteroatoms, crystallization, and ionization. This review also explores the practical applications of CTRTP polymeric materials, particularly in anti-counterfeiting and information encryption. The final section highlights the current research progress and offers perspectives on future directions for the CTRTP synthetic polymeric materials. It's highly anticipated that this review will provide guidance for the continued development of CTRTP polymeric materials.