Stress-induced color manipulation of mechanoluminescent elastomer for visualized mechanics sensing

• Published in: Nano energy Vol. 83; p. 105860
• Main Authors: Tian, Birong, Wang, Zhaofeng, Smith, Andrew T., Bai, Yongqing, Li, Jiazhi, Zhang, Na, Xue, Zhonghua, Sun, Luyi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 01.05.2021
• Subjects: Color manipulation; Mechanoluminescence; Stress response; Visualized mechanics sensing; Visualized mechanics sensing; Mechanoluminescence; Stress response; Color manipulation
• ISSN: 2211-2855
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nanoen.2021.105860

The intrinsic relationship between mechanics and luminescent signals in mechanoluminescence materials presents unique advantages for visualized mechanics sensing. However, the quantitative or semi-quantitative sensing of mechanics in previous mechanoluminescence-based devices are always established based on brightness/intensity variations, which are hard to apply in practice. In this work, we designed an efficient mechanoluminescent system, Sr2P2O7:Eu,Y, in which two types of luminescent centers are introduced with blue and red emissions, respectively. The luminescent centers exhibited a strikingly distinct stress/strain responsiveness, and therefore a stress/strain-induced color manipulation is realized. Based on this intriguing performance, a visualized semi-quantitative sensing technique for mechanics was developed, by which the detailed stress/strain level could be acquired from the mechanoluminescent color. Because the luminescent color possessed a relatively high reliability with no need for complicated monitoring equipment, this visualized semi-quantitative sensing for mechanics presents high application values in various fields. A closed three-dimensional structure of Sr2P2O7:Eu,Y containing two types of luminescent centers with distinct emitting color was designed, which exhibited a stress/strain-induced mechanoluminescent color manipulation and could be utilized for visualized mechanics sensing. [Display omitted] •A mechanoluminescent color manipulation strategy for visualized mechanics sensing was proposed.•Sr2P2O7:Eu,Y was designed to have efficient and persistent mechanoluminescence.•Sr2P2O7:Eu,Y exhibited a mechanoluminescent color evolution in response to stress.•Stress/strain level could be visually sensed from the mechanoluminescent color.