Molten Zinc Coordination Polymer Glass as a Host for Stable and Processable Optical Dye Composites

Abstract

Reducing aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) and enhancing molecular stability are key challenges in the development of high-performance solid-state light-emitting organic dye materials and devices. Herein, a red-emitting hybrid glass was fabricated by dissolving rhodamine B (RhB) into a zinc-based coordination polymer glass (a_gZn-P-bIm) melt via a melt-quenching process. The resulting amorphous composite after quenching exhibited significantly enhanced solid-state photoluminescence with a high photoluminescence quantum yield of 79.3%, attributed to effective dispersion and subsequent suppression of RhB aggregation through strong interfacial interactions within the glassy matrix. The material also demonstrated excellent thermal and ambient stability, along with reversible thermochromic behavior, making it suitable for optical temperature sensing. Moreover, by hosting various other emissive molecules, the coordination glass enabled tunable light emission in backlit OLED configurations, highlighting its potential as a versatile platform for advanced solid state optical applications.

Keywords

aggregation caused quenching / light emitting diode / polymer glass composite / rhodamine B / zinc coordination polymer glass

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