Triplet–Triplet Annihilation Upconversion Circularly Polarized Luminescence That Originates From Achiral and Racemic Luminophores Encapsulated in Chiral Silica

S Shunsuke Morii (Department of Applied Chemistry Faculty of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering Osaka Institute of Technology Osaka Japan) H Himawari Kunitake (Department of Applied Chemistry Faculty of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering Osaka Institute of Technology Osaka Japan) Y Yasumasa Miyoshi (Department of Applied Chemistry Faculty of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering Osaka Institute of Technology Osaka Japan) S Shinichi Kusaka (Department of Applied Chemistry Faculty of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering Osaka Institute of Technology Osaka Japan) T Towa Shinoda (Department of Applied Chemistry Faculty of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering Osaka Institute of Technology Osaka Japan) K Kai Terami (Department of Applied Chemistry Faculty of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering Osaka Institute of Technology Osaka Japan) Y Yu‐Hsuan Chan (Department of Biological Science and Technology Center For Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio‐Devices (IDS2B) National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan) Y Yi‐Ting Lin (Department of Biological Science and Technology Center For Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio‐Devices (IDS2B) National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan) H Hao‐Cheng Yu (Department of Biological Science and Technology Center For Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio‐Devices (IDS2B) National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan) S Syuji Fujii Y Yoshinobu Nakamura Y Yoshiro Kaneko T Teruaki Hayakawa (Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technology Institute of Science Tokyo Meguro‐ku Tokyo Japan) T Tatsuo Nakagawa (UNISOKU Co, Ltd. Hirakata Osaka Japan) H Hiroaki Hanada (UNISOKU Co, Ltd. Hirakata Osaka Japan) M Ming‐Chia Li (Department of Biological Science and Technology Center For Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio‐Devices (IDS2B) National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan) T Tomoyasu Hirai (Department of Applied Chemistry Faculty of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering Osaka Institute of Technology Osaka Japan)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) has emerged as a key optical property with chiral‐photonic and optoelectronic applications. However, conventional CPL systems rely on synthetically demanding chiral luminophores that emit at fixed wavelengths, which limits tunability and efficiency. In this study, we demonstrate that achiral or racemic luminophores co‐encapsulated with photosensitizers in the helical nanocavities of chiral silica exhibit upconversion CPL (UC‐CPL). The chiral silica, which is derived from polymethylvinylsiloxane comprising polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane decorated with enantiomeric N ‐( tert ‐butoxycarbonyl)cysteine methyl ester moieties (PMVS‐POSS‐Cys), has a helical structure with a preferred‐handedness that facilitates efficient triplet–triplet energy transfer (TTET) and triplet–triplet annihilation (TTA). The resulting materials exhibit distinct CPL and UC‐CPL signals when excited at 365 and 532 nm, respectively, despite the achiral nature of the luminophore. This study unprecedentedly demonstrates UC‐CPL from achiral emitters within chiral silica matrices, which is achieved through chiral induction in the solid‐state helical silica frameworks. The strategy described herein provides a general and versatile platform for developing energy‐efficient, wavelength‐tunable chiral‐photonic materials without the need for elaborate chiral syntheses.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 65, Issue 29
Published July 13, 2026
ISSN 1433-7851
Publisher Wiley

Journal Info

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Wiley

ISSN: 1433-7851 Physical Sciences

Authors (17)

S

Shunsuke Morii

Department of Applied Chemistry Faculty of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering Osaka Institute of Technology Osaka Japan

H

Himawari Kunitake

Department of Applied Chemistry Faculty of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering Osaka Institute of Technology Osaka Japan

Y

Yasumasa Miyoshi

Department of Applied Chemistry Faculty of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering Osaka Institute of Technology Osaka Japan

S

Shinichi Kusaka

Department of Applied Chemistry Faculty of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering Osaka Institute of Technology Osaka Japan

T

Towa Shinoda

Department of Applied Chemistry Faculty of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering Osaka Institute of Technology Osaka Japan

K

Kai Terami

Department of Applied Chemistry Faculty of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering Osaka Institute of Technology Osaka Japan

Y

Yu‐Hsuan Chan

Department of Biological Science and Technology Center For Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio‐Devices (IDS2B) National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan

Y

Yi‐Ting Lin

Department of Biological Science and Technology Center For Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio‐Devices (IDS2B) National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan

H

Hao‐Cheng Yu

Department of Biological Science and Technology Center For Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio‐Devices (IDS2B) National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan

S

Syuji Fujii

Y

Yoshinobu Nakamura

Y

Yoshiro Kaneko

T

Teruaki Hayakawa

Department of Materials Science and Engineering, School of Materials and Chemical Technology Institute of Science Tokyo Meguro‐ku Tokyo Japan

T

Tatsuo Nakagawa

UNISOKU Co, Ltd. Hirakata Osaka Japan

H

Hiroaki Hanada

UNISOKU Co, Ltd. Hirakata Osaka Japan

M

Ming‐Chia Li

Department of Biological Science and Technology Center For Intelligent Drug Systems and Smart Bio‐Devices (IDS2B) National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University Hsinchu Taiwan

T

Tomoyasu Hirai

Department of Applied Chemistry Faculty of Engineering and Graduate School of Engineering Osaka Institute of Technology Osaka Japan