POS4-0398
Micellar Morphological Evolution-Driven Hierarchical Network Composites for Long-Lived and Multifunctional Room-Temperature Phosphorescence
Topic
S4. Colloids, Interfaces, and Molecular Assemblies for Functional Soft Materials
When and Where
Sep 29, 2026
08:30 - 09:30
Room 301 (Grand Ballroom)
Session Chairs
Hae Jung SON
Boseok KANG
Presenter(s)
SEONGEUN CHO (Yonsei University)
Co-Author(s)
Abstract
Room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP), originating from the radiative decay of triplet excitons after removal of excitation, has attracted interest in luminescent materials. Purely organic RTP (oRTP) systems are particularly promising owing to their cost-effectiveness and facile processability. Achieving oRTP requires restricting molecular motions of phosphors and shielding them from external quenchers. Despite advances in matrix rigidification, host-guest complexation, and polymerization strategies, RTP-mechanical trade-off, oxygen quenching, and poor environmental durability remain major barriers to practical applications.
In this study, hierarchical network engineering based on polymer self-assembly and micellar morphology evolution was proposed. In nanoscale, the phosphorescent amphiphilic random copolymer consisting of acrylamide, phenylboronic acid and phosphor unit was designed and self-assembled into core-shell micelles, providing nanoconfinement for phosphor units to restrict molecular mobility. In meso to microscale, the morphology of micelles was controlled from spherical micelles to bilayer micelles and worm-like micelles by introducing bPEI, resulting in packed core and micellar 3D architecture. By removing water from the solution, we fabricated freestanding micelle-bPEI composite films in the bulk state. The films with micellar entangled network and preserved nanoconfinement, exhibited RTP upto 8 s, maintained stability under 180° bending, and achieved toughness upto 8 MJ/m-3. Enhanced core packing suppressed the permeation of external quenchers, allowing the films to retain over 80% of their RTP intensity after 3 months and 83-100% of their RTP efficiency after 1 month of exposure to organic solvents.
This bottom-up approach provides a platform for integrating multifunctionality into oRTP materials while overcoming longstanding trade-off and limitations in the field.
In this study, hierarchical network engineering based on polymer self-assembly and micellar morphology evolution was proposed. In nanoscale, the phosphorescent amphiphilic random copolymer consisting of acrylamide, phenylboronic acid and phosphor unit was designed and self-assembled into core-shell micelles, providing nanoconfinement for phosphor units to restrict molecular mobility. In meso to microscale, the morphology of micelles was controlled from spherical micelles to bilayer micelles and worm-like micelles by introducing bPEI, resulting in packed core and micellar 3D architecture. By removing water from the solution, we fabricated freestanding micelle-bPEI composite films in the bulk state. The films with micellar entangled network and preserved nanoconfinement, exhibited RTP upto 8 s, maintained stability under 180° bending, and achieved toughness upto 8 MJ/m-3. Enhanced core packing suppressed the permeation of external quenchers, allowing the films to retain over 80% of their RTP intensity after 3 months and 83-100% of their RTP efficiency after 1 month of exposure to organic solvents.
This bottom-up approach provides a platform for integrating multifunctionality into oRTP materials while overcoming longstanding trade-off and limitations in the field.
