Dipolar-Ligand-Driven Interfacial Charge Dynamics Engineering for Enhancing Mechanoluminescence Utilization Efficiency

초록

Mechanoluminescent materials offer unique opportunities for power-free light-emission systems, however, pushing mechanoluminescent performance to its intrinsic limit remains a critical challenge for reliable identification under bright ambient lighting. Here, we rationally tune dipolar ligand-assisted interfacial charge dynamics to achieve high-bright mechanoluminescence, and define a photoluminescence-based mechanoluminescent utilization efficiency that quantifies the ability of traditional ZnS:Cu@AlOx phosphors to generate photons under mechanical activation. By using a series of dipolar benzoic-acid-based ligands, we functionalize the outer AlOx surface to elevate the charge potential and work function, thereby maximizing positive triboelectricity, while simultaneously suppressing non-radiative recombination through an enhanced surface potential barrier at the inner interface. In particular, we find 4-aminophthalic acid as an optimal dipolar ligand, which boosts the mechanoluminescent utilization efficiency from 12.7% to 76.6%, enabling clearly distinguishable luminescence even under bright ambient illumination of 110 lx. Our framework establishes a general guideline for designing, evaluating, and deploying high-performance mechanoluminescent systems across diverse power-free photonic and sensing applications. © 2026 Wiley-VCH GmbH.

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