Dual-channel tunable luminescence of Bi³⁺/Eu³⁺ co-doped borate glasses for anti-counterfeiting application

A series of Bi³⁺/Eu³⁺ doped borate glasses were prepared by melt-quenching method, and the luminescence properties, energy transfer, and luminescence thermal stabilities of Bi³⁺/Eu³⁺ doped borate glasses were studied in detail. Under the excitation of ultraviolet radiation b (UVB) light, the effective broadband blue emission corresponding to ³P₁→¹S₀ transition of Bi³⁺ was exhibited in the Bi³⁺ single-doped glass samples, and the concentration quenching behavior of Bi³⁺ in borate glasses is attributed to the electric dipole-dipole interaction. By the introduction of Eu³⁺, the tunable luminescence from blue purple, pink, and red was successfully achieved in Bi³⁺/Eu³⁺ co-doped glasses under different excitation wavelengths, and the energy transfer process from Bi³⁺ to Eu³⁺ was exposed. Furthermore, the luminescence thermal stability of Bi³⁺/Eu³⁺ co-doped borate glasses was investigated, and the difference in emission intensities between Bi³⁺ and Eu³⁺ as the sample temperature changes was observed. Meanwhile, the temperature sensing behavior with the maximum relative sensitivity reaching 0.89 %·K⁻¹ was also revealed. Finally, an information anti-counterfeiting strategy was constructed by combining the adjustable luminescence based on the change of excitation wavelength and sample temperature, which provides valuable reference for the development of anti-counterfeiting application. © 2025 Elsevier B.V.