Stimuli-responsive materials exhibiting exceptional room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) hold promise for emerging technologies. However, constructing such systems in a sustainable, scalable, and processable manner remains challenging. This work reports a bio-inspired strategy to develop RTP nanofiber materials using bacterial cellulose (BC) via bio-fermentation. The green fabrication process, high biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and abundant hydroxyl groups make BC an ideal biopolymer for constructing durable and stimuli-responsive RTP materials. Remarkable RTP performance is observed with long lifetimes of up to 1636.79 ms at room temperature. Moreover, moisture can repeatedly quench and activate phosphorescence in a dynamic and tunable fashion by disrupting cellulose rigidity and permeability. With capabilities for repeatable moisture-sensitive phosphorescence, these materials are highly suitable for applications such as anti-counterfeiting and information encryption. This pioneering bio-derived approach provides a reliable and sustainable blueprint for constructing dynamic, scalable, and processable RTP materials beyond synthetic polymers.
Keywords: anti‐counterfeiting; bacterial cellulose nanofibers; information encryption; organic room temperature phosphorescence; stimulus‐responsive.
© 2024 The Author(s). Advanced Science published by Wiley‐VCH GmbH.