Abstract: Triboluminescent materials that produce light emission in response to mechanical action attract significant interest due to their wide range of potential utilization for mechanoresponsive sensors, light emitting devices and stimuli-induced glowing fibers, dyes, particles, paste, and films, etc. Here, we would like to disclose a general method of generating triboluminescent polymer materials blended with wide range of luminophores that emit light in response to mechanical action emitting light in a wide range of spectrum. The light generation is achieved via a non-destructive method even in the absence of direct contact with the polymer (e.g. through the layer of another polymer). Biocompatible luminophores can be easily utilized. Light emission is also observed under dry air.

Abstract: Triboluminescent materials that generate emission of light in response to mechanical stimulus attract significant attention due to their applications in development of “smart materials” and damage sensors. Among metal complexes, rare-earth europium and terbium complexes are most widely used, while there is no systematic data on triboluminescence in more readily available and inexpensive Cu complexes, with only a few scattered examples reported in the literature. We report a new family of photoluminescent Cu—NHC complexes that show bright triboluminescence (TL) in crystal state visible even in ambient light under air upon grinding or crushing the crystalline sample. Moreover, when these complexes are dispersed into amorphous polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) films even at small concentrations, TL is easily observed. In Cu-containing polymer films, surrounding gas discharge is likely involved in excitation of brightly luminescent Cu—NHC complexes.

Abstract: A polymer comprising a polymer chain moiety and a copper complex moiety (1) is useful as a mechanoresponsive luminescent material. R1 and R2 are linking groups to the polymer chain moiety; R3 to R6 are H or substituent.