Organic–Inorganic Hybrid Materials with Efficient UV-to-Red Conversion

Abstract

Rare-earth (RE) organic complexes have always been a research hotspot in the field of photoluminescence (PL) due to their high luminescence intensity and processability, but they are still restricted by disadvantages such as complex synthetic routes, poor thermal stability, and compatibility. Herein, we propose the use of clusteroluminescent polymers (PMVs) as macromolecular ligands to prepare a series of rare-earth polymer materials (PMV_n–Eu–Phen_m). By changing the molar ratio of the three substances, the structural unit of PMV, the central Eu³⁺, and the small-molecule ligand Phen, the obtained complexes emit red fluorescence, and their quantum yield (QY) can also reach 33.60%. In particular, PMV_3a–Eu can achieve single-component white-light emission (SC-WLE) under ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The rare-earth polymer materials are melt-blended with polyethylene (PE) to obtain an agricultural light-conversion film with excellent stability and compatibility, which can convert harmful UV light into intense red light. This work combines clusteroluminescent polymers with RE ions, further improving the shortcomings of RE complexes and expanding their potential applications.