Dual Doping and Porous Fluoropolymer Integration of ZnS for Enhanced Mechanoluminescence with Concurrent Photoluminescence and Afterglow.

The practical implementation of mechanoluminescent (ML) materials in applications such as pressure sensing, energy harvesting, and human-machine interaction is contingent upon achieving higher emission efficiencies. This work reports the design of an inorganic-organic composite material with high ML efficiency achieved by co-doping Mn2+ and Fe3+ in ZnS microparticles and incorporating them into a porous poly(vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) matrix. The co-doping of Mn2+ and Fe3+ effectively modifies the bandgap structure of ZnS, enabling an energy transfer process that enhances not only mechanoluminescence but also photoluminescence and afterglow emission. Additionally, the polymer substrate, benefiting from its porous structure, generates a local piezoelectric field that further amplifies the ML emission of the doped ZnS microparticles. The resulting composite membrane, characterized by significantly enhanced emission intensity and tunable, repeatable responses to external force, is anticipated to unlock new possibilities for ML materials in smart sensing and advanced display applications.