In situ supramolecular assembly in water for dual room temperature phosphorescence and multicomponent recognition

Developing room temperature phosphorescence (RTP) in water is of great significance for removing the limitations which prevent RTP materials being used in practical applications. Herein, we propose a simple, green, efficient, and universal strategy for implementing supramolecular assembly in water to prompt dual RTP emission and modulation based on aromatic acid phosphors (AC), second phosphors, and melamine (MA). Such ternary self-assembly materials possess dual RTP in water due to the formation of a rigid microenvironment for the suppression of nonradiative transition of AC and second phosphors, and, in addition, the sensitisation of the assembly of AC + MA on the second phosphors also contributes to its enhanced RTP emission in water. Moreover, the potential multicomponent identification of the isophthalic acid (IPA) + 4-bromo-1,8-naphthalic anhydride (NPA) + MA self-assembly materials with an obvious afterglow is demonstrated, and this benefits from their varied RTP signals and afterglow in the darkness in the presence of Fe3+ and Hg2+. The proposed self-assembly RTP strategy in water includes the advantages of green synthesis, efficient dual RTP emission, and potential applications in water.