Advances in organic room-temperature phosphorescence: design strategies, photophysical mechanisms, and emerging applications

Organic room temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials have garnered significant interest due to their potential applications in anticounterfeiting, biological imaging, and optoelectronic devices. This Chemistry Frontiers paper comprehensively analyzes the photophysical processes underlying phosphorescence to identify the key factors that facilitate phosphorescence emission. It critically evaluates the intrinsic mechanisms of various construction strategies and explores the relationship between aggregated structures and their properties. Detailed discussions on molecular arrangement, packing modes, and intra/intermolecular interactions are presented, offering systematic design principles. Finally, it outlines the current application areas of organic RTP materials, forecasts future advancements, and proposes performance criteria and strategic design approaches to guide further progress in this field.