Self-powered mechanoluminescent elastomer for solar-blind ultraviolet emission

Xulong Lv; Tianyi Duan; Shaofan Fang; Zhaofeng Wang; Dongxun Chen; Lipeng Huang; Huanyu Liu; Zheming Liu; Chao Liu; Xiao-Jun Wang; Yanjie Liang

doi:10.1038/s41377-025-02131-2

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Self-powered mechanoluminescent elastomer for solar-blind ultraviolet emission

Original Articles

- Self-powered mechanoluminescent elastomer for solar-blind ultraviolet emission
- Self-powered mechanoluminescent elastomer for solar-blind ultraviolet emission
- Light: Science & Applications 2026年15卷第4期页码：1089-1104
- Affiliations：
  
  1.School of Materials Science & Engineering, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
  2.State Key Laboratory of Coatings for Advanced Equipment, Shandong University, Jinan 250061, China
  3.School of Information and Communication Engineering, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, Beijing 100876, China
  4.Shandong Laboratory of Advanced Materials and Green Manufacturing at Yantai, Yantai 264006, China
  5.State Key Laboratory of Solid Lubrication, Lanzhou Institute of Chemical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China
  6.Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School and Hospital of Stomatology, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
  7.Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Qilu Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan 250012, China
  8.Department of Physics, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, GA 30460, USA
- Author bio：
  
  Zhaofeng Wang (zhfwang@licp.cas.cn)
  Xiao-Jun Wang (xwang@georgiasouthern.edu)
  Yanjie Liang (yanjie.liang@sdu.edu.cn)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-025-02131-2
  中图分类号：
- 收稿：2025-08-20，
  
  修回：2025-11-09，
  
  录用：2025-11-10，
  
  网络首发：2026-01-12，
  
  纸质出版：2026-04-30
- Accepted：
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Xulong Lv, Tianyi Duan, Shaofan Fang, 等. Self-powered mechanoluminescent elastomer for solar-blind ultraviolet emission[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2026,15(4):1089-1104.

Lv, X. L. et al. Self-powered mechanoluminescent elastomer for solar-blind ultraviolet emission. Light: Science & Applications, 15, 1089-1104 (2026).
Xulong Lv, Tianyi Duan, Shaofan Fang, 等. Self-powered mechanoluminescent elastomer for solar-blind ultraviolet emission[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2026,15(4):1089-1104. DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-02131-2.

Lv, X. L. et al. Self-powered mechanoluminescent elastomer for solar-blind ultraviolet emission. Light: Science & Applications, 15, 1089-1104 (2026). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-025-02131-2.

摘要

Abstract

Flexible mechanoluminescence (ML) elastomers show significant potential for next-generation wearable electronics

artificial skin

advanced sensing

and human-machine interaction. However

their broader application has been hindered by challenges such as restricted emission wavelengths

inadequate repeatability

insufficient cyclic stability

and poor self-recovery. Here

we report an innovative and high-performance solar-blind ultraviolet ML elastomer by combining commercial polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)

and newly fabricated Sr

(BO

)

:Pr

phosphors

capable of generating intense ultraviolet-C (UVC) ML peaked at 272 nm under mechanical stimulation. The composite elastomer exhibits exceptional repeatability and cyclic stability

maintaining detectable UVC emission over 10

000 continuous stretching cycles (power intensity at the 1st cycle is ~6.2 mW m

−2

). It also demonstrates rapid and efficient self-recovery behavior

restoring 43.2% of its initial intensity within 1 s and 90.2% after 24 h. Combined experimental and theoretical analyses reveal that interfacial triboelectrification

involving electron transfer from the phosphor to the PDMS matrix

leads to the observed UVC ML emission. Leveraging the solar-blind nature and high photon energy of UVC light

we further demonstrate the feasibility of self-powered photonics applications. This work not only offers novel insights into the design of advanced UVC ML systems but also provides “power-free” solutions for important applications where UVC photons are essential

such as outdoor optical tagging and microbial sterilization.

关键词

Keywords

references

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