Panchromatic fluorescent tunable waterborne polyurethanes based on Eu(III), Tb(III) and Zn(II) complexes

Full-color fluorescent tunable materials have attracted much attention due to their broad application prospects in fields such as lighting, display devices, and biological imaging. However, it remains challenging to prepare environmentally friendly full-color fluorescent tunable materials through simple and efficient methods. Herein, a series of amino-functionalized complexes were synthesized, and, via covalent bonding, a color-tunable waterborne polyurethane system (WPU-Eu 1-x-y Tb x Zn y ) was developed, exhibiting both full-color and white fluorescence. In addition, due to the inherent differences in the ultraviolet absorption properties of each complex, the emission color can be further adjusted by changing the excitation wavelength. This dual mechanism enables both preset and dynamic color adjustments, providing various possibilities for applications such as anti-counterfeiting and display technologies. More importantly, WPU-Eu 1-x-y Tb x Zn y uses water as a dispersant, has a low VOC content, and is particularly safe and environmentally friendly.