Ultralong organic room-temperature phosphorescence of electron-donating and commercially available host and guest molecules through efficient Förster resonance energy transfer

Ultralong organic room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) materials have attracted tremendous attention recently due to their diverse applications. Several ultralong organic RTP materials mimicking the host-guest architecture of inorganic systems have been exploited successfully. However, complicated synthesis and high expenditure are still inevitable in these studies. Herein, we develop a series of novel host-guest organic phosphorescence systems, in which all luminophores are electron-rich, commercially available and halogen-atom-free. The maximum phosphorescence efficiency and the longest lifetime could reach 23.6% and 362 ms, respectively. Experimental results and theoretical calculation indicate that the host molecules not only play a vital role in providing a rigid environment to suppress non-radiative decay of the guest, but also show a synergistic effect to the guest through Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET). The commercial availability, facile preparation and unique properties also make these new host-guest materials an excellent candidate for the anti-counterfeiting application. This work will inspire researchers to develop new RTP systems with different wavelengths from commercially available luminophores. [Figure not available: see fulltext.]