IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v16y2025i1d10.1038_s41467-025-57712-x.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Solvent-free processing of lignin into robust room temperature phosphorescent materials

Author

Listed:
  • Min Wang

    (Ministry of Education)

  • Wei-Ming Yin

    (Ministry of Education)

  • Yingxiang Zhai

    (Ministry of Education)

  • Jingyi Zhou

    (Ministry of Education)

  • Shouxin Liu

    (Ministry of Education)

  • Jian Li

    (Ministry of Education)

  • Shujun Li

    (Ministry of Education)

  • Tony D. James

    (University of Bath
    Henan Normal University)

  • Zhijun Chen

    (Ministry of Education)

Abstract

Producing room temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials from biomass resources using a solvent free method is essential but hard to achieve. Here, we discovered that lignin dissolved well in the liquid monomer, 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA), due to extensive hydrogen bonding and non-bonding interactions between lignin and HEA. Motivated by this discovery, we developed a solvent free system consisting of HEA and urethane dimethacrylate (UDMA) for converting lignin into RTP materials. With this design, lignin generated radicals upon UV irradiation, which initiated the polymerization of HEA (as monomer) and UDMA (as crosslinker). The as-obtained polymer network rigidifies lignin and activates the humidity/water-resistant RTP of lignin with a lifetime of 202.9 ms. Moreover, the afterglow color was successfully tuned to red after loading with RhB via energy transfer (TS-FRET). Using these properties, the as-developed material was used as photocured multiple-emission RTP inks, luminescent coatings and a smart anti-counterfeiting logo for a medicine bottle.

Suggested Citation

  • Min Wang & Wei-Ming Yin & Yingxiang Zhai & Jingyi Zhou & Shouxin Liu & Jian Li & Shujun Li & Tony D. James & Zhijun Chen, 2025. "Solvent-free processing of lignin into robust room temperature phosphorescent materials," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 16(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-57712-x
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-025-57712-x
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-57712-x
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-025-57712-x?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:16:y:2025:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-025-57712-x. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.