Phosphorescence properties, luminescence mechanism and application of pharmaceutical room temperature phosphorescent materials.

Room temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials constitute an emerging class of functional materials with significant potential for enhancing drug quality control, biological imaging and anti-counterfeiting encryption technologies. However, conventional RTP materials exhibit drawbacks such as high toxicity, complex synthesis, challenging purification processes, excessive byproduct generation, etc. These challenges prevent them from realizing the strict standards for pharmaceutical applications. As a result, the development of RTP materials is constrained by the conflict between biocompatibility and RTP properties, restricting their application. This study systematically summarizes polysaccharide-, lignin-, and protein-based RTP properties of the materials. These materials commonly utilize two luminescence mechanisms: clustering-triggered emission and aggregation-induced emission. The approach enables the development of biocompatible RTP systems with stimuli-responsive properties. This paper systematically elucidates the RTP properties, luminescence mechanisms, and applications of pharmaceutical RTP materials. This paper summarizes the transition from natural compounds to RTP materials, with the aim of providing insights into the development of RTP and pharmaceutical industries.