Phase transition of metal-organic frameworks for regulating the fluorescence properties of dyes

Encapsulating dye molecules into metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with high loadings and tunable photophysical properties is promising for future applications in opto-electronic displays, but it is challenging to match the channel size of the MOFs with the dimensions of the dyes. Here, we report a pressure-induced stimulated-aging (PISA) strategy that enables a large number of dyes to be well dispersed and confined within MOFs (denoted as dyes@MOFs). The fluorescence properties of these dyes can be regulated through the MOF microenvironment. Specifically, the fluorescence lifetime and quantum yield of rhodamine B (RhB)@ZIF-8 are 5-6 times higher than those of solid RhB. Moreover, the dyes@MOFs composites are fabricated into patterns and exhibit application prospects for multicolor displays, information encryption and storage.