Digital controlled luminescent emission via patterned deposition of lanthanide coordination compounds

Presented here is a new direct patterning method, printer-type lithography technology, for the formation of lanthanide coordination compounds (LCCs) single crystal in different spatial locations. We first integrate this technology in digital controlled emission by patterned deposition of LCCs. We demonstrate its usefulness in the control of emission intensity by regulating print cycles, so that the emission intensity can be digitally controlled. This printer technology can also be used to precisely control the location at which a single LCC crystal is grown, which provides great promise in the application of anticounterfeiting barcode. Besides, by varying the stoichiometric ratio of the lanthanide ions in the identical cartridge, a fluent change of emission colors from white, orange, pink, to blue green was achieved. Therefore, this low-cost and high-throughput patterning technique can be readily applied to a wide range of areas including micro-/nanofabrication, optics, and electronics studies. © 2014 American Chemical Society.