Efficient synthesis of quaternary piezo-photonic materials for pressure visualization and E-signature anti-counterfeiting

Mechanoluminescence (ML) offers a novel approach to photon emissions without requiring extra electrical input. In recent decade, a variety of ML materials have afforded advantageous prospect for various potential applications. Nevertheless, the material composition optimization and application progress are limited by the time-consuming and complicated preparation methods. Here, a one-step rapid microwave-assisted solid-state (MASS) synthesis approach is firstly employed for the preparation of CaZnOS-based quaternary ML materials with lanthanide/transition metal dopants and variable compositions. Notably, this method only takes a total synthesis duration of 20-minute microwave radiation, which can greatly facilitate the efficient preparation of a variety of ML materials. Moreover, bright host emission from the CaZnOS matrix is unexpectedly induced, providing a new opportunity for manipulating multicolor luminescence. Finally, we have proposed that the people’s writing characteristics can be analyzed by using these ML materials, which offers a great potential for pressure visualization, individualized E-signature anti-counterfeiting applications and beyond. This work not only provides a facile one-step synthesis method for the preparation of CaZnOS-based quaternary ML materials that featuring unique host emission, but also suggests the ML materials to be applied in advanced E-signature and on-demand information identification applications, which is of significance for integrated optoelectronic devices in future.