Modulating hydrothermal condition to achieve carbon dots-zeolite composites with multicolor afterglow

Responsive luminescence materials with prolonged lifetime and multicolor emission have drawn great attention due to their attractive optical property and potential applications. Herein, two responsive carbon dots (CDs) based composites: CD₁@MCM-22P and CD₂@ZSM-12 were achieved by a one-step hydrothermal method. By adjusting the hydrothermal condition, CD₁@MCM-22P owns temperature-dependent afterglow, while CD₂@ZSM-12 is equipped with excitation-dependent room-temperature phosphorescence. The photoluminescence mechanisms of CD₁@MCM-22P and CD₂@ZSM-12 were investigated and proposed, and the composites were applied in multi-mode anti-counterfeiting. This work provides an insight as well as a feasible method for the development of multi-emissive CDs@zeolite composite.