Hydrogen bonding breakthrough for materials science
13 Oct 2024
New work from researchers could have the potential to offer breakthroughs in applications such as combating counterfeiters, data storage and imaging.
The study has provided greater understanding of the means by which hydrogen bonding can improve the functioning of organic room phosphorescence (RTP) materials and offer possible breakthroughs in several scientific fields.
Led by Dr Sen Wu, Dr Tao Wang and Professor Eli Zysman-Colman of the St Andrews chemistry school, the research results were published in CCS Chemistry journal.
Professor Zysman-Colman said of the project:
“The findings open new possibilities for the practical use of RTP materials, including luminescent origami, anti-counterfeiting measures, and even light-based data writing techniques.
“This study not only deepens our understanding of how RTP works but also highlights new ways to control and optimise these fascinating materials for a range of cutting-edge applications.”
RTP results from materials emitting light after being excited but scientists had struggled to achieving high-efficiency RTP materials. And, while hydrogen bonding interactions between molecules were thought to be key to improvements its role had not been confirmed previously.
Explained Zysman-Colman: “Through systematic structural and photophysical investigations, this work has elucidated the universal role hydrogen bonding has in triggering RTP by investigating the properties in a diverse range of hosts that either can hydrogen bond or not with the guest molecule.”
Pic: Shutterstock (Aris Group)
