Highly stretchable and fast self-healing luminescent materials.

Nowadays, the flourishing exploitation of multi-function luminescent materials with simultaneously fast self-healing and superior mechanical features greatly broadens scopes available to wide applications in optical and display devices, but this is still a formidably challenging task. Herein, we realize color-tunable luminescent materials functionalized with lanthanide ions (Ln3+) and terpyridine ligands coordination complexes that show highly stretchable and rapid self-healing performance, simultaneous broaden its application prospect both optically and mechanically. The multiple color emission, including visible and near-infrared luminescence, can be achieved by energy transfer from the coordinating terpyridine unit to Ln3+ via the so-called "antenna effect". The dynamic Ln-N coordination affords extreme stretchability and fast self-healing at ambient conditions. Of particular interest is that the healing process is not significantly affected by surface ageing and atmospheric moisture. The multi-function materials open up a new pathway for future development of the next-generation wearable electronics including flexible and self-healable conductors.