Synthesis of lanthanide‐doped strontium aluminate nanoparticles encapsulated in polyacrylonitrile nanofibres: photoluminescence properties for anticounterfeiting applications

• Published in: Luminescence (Chichester, England) England), 2022-01, Vol.37 (1), p.40-50
• Main Authors: El‐Newehy, Mohamed H., Kim, Hak Yong, Khattab, Tawfik A., Moydeen A., Meera, El‐Naggar, Mehrez E.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acrylic Resins; Aggregation; Economics; Hydrophobicity; lanthanide‐doped strontium aluminate; Lanthanoid Series Elements; Luminescence; Mechanical properties; Nanocomposites; Nanofibers; Nanoparticles; Photochromism; Photoluminescence; photoluminescence properties; Photons; Polyacrylonitrile; polyacrylonitrile nanofibres; Properties; Social values; Stretchability; Strontium; Substrates; Transparency (optical); Ultraviolet radiation
• ISSN: 1522-7235; 1522-7243
• DOI: 10.1002/bio.4144

Photochromism has been applied as an interesting technique in order to improve the anticounterfeiting of commercial commodities. To build up a mechanically reliable anticounterfeiting nanocomposite, it has been vital to enhance the engineering process of the anticounterfeiting material. In the current study, we developed mechanically reliable and highly photoluminescent lanthanide‐doped strontium aluminate nanoparticles (LSAN)/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) hybrid nanofibres successfully fabricated using an electrospinning technique for anticounterfeiting applications. The produced nanocomposite films exhibited ultraviolet‐induced photochromic anticounterfeiting properties. To guarantee the transparency of the LSAN‐PAN film, LSAN must be immobilized onto the nanoparticle size to allow better dispersion without aggregation in the polyacrylonitrile matrix. The LSAN‐PAN nanofibrous film demonstrated absorbance intensity that exhibited at 354 nm and associated with an emission intensity at 424 nm. The produced LSAN‐PAN films demonstrated an enhanced hydrophobicity when increasing the ratio of LSAN, without adversely influencing their native appearance and mechanical performance. Upon excitation with ultraviolet light, the translucent nanofibrous substrates exhibited fast and reversible photochromic activity to greenish‐yellow without exhaustion. The nanofibrous films exhibited stretchability, transparency, flexibility, and ultraviolet light‐induced photochromism at low cost. The current strategy can be considered as an efficient technique towards the development of various anticounterfeiting materials for a better market with economic and social values. Electrospinning technique was employed for the preparation of ultraviolet‐stimulated photochromic polyacrylonitrile‐phosphor nanofibrous films. The prepared films are characterized by transparency, high reversibility and photostability with a color shift to green for efficient anti‐counterfeiting applications as well as exhibition of improved superhydrophobicity and mechanical reliability.