Aqueous Room-Temperature Phosphorescence from Assembled Phosphors for Analytical Detection†

Comprehensive SummaryRoom-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) has gained much attention in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), anti-counterfeiting, encryption and bioimaging. However, efficient RTP is typically difficult due to the spin-forbidden transition nature and susceptibility to environment quenching. In aqueous phase, such quenching is much more pronounced, leading to the collection of aqueous RTP even more challenging. Assembly systems (either organic or inorganic), provide an excellent microenvironment for accommodating of phosphors in aqueous phase, due to the excluding of typical phosphorescence quenchers (H2O and O-2) and rigidification of phosphorescent molecules for inhibition of non-radiative transitions (molecular motions). Herein, we summarized the recent progress in harvesting RTP from aqueous systems via various assembling strategies, including small molecules, supramolecular inclusion, and inorganic assembly. More specifically, the analytical explorations of these systems were discussed, from the perspective of the relationship between analytes and phosphorescence. Last, the further developments of aqueous RTP analysis were also prospected.