Process-Mechanized Green Approach to Organic Phosphorescence: From Mechanochemistry Synthesis to 3D Printing

Carbazole-based organic room-temperature phosphorescent (RTP) materials have attracted widespread attention, yet their structural diversification has remained limited due to inherent synthetic constraints. In this work, a dual-mechanical strategy integrating mechanochemical synthesis with 3D-printed processing is introduced. A g-configured benzoindole (Bd[g]) skeleton is efficiently obtained through a solvent-free mechanochemical protocol, enabling rapid and scalable access to high-performance RTP molecular frameworks. When dispersed within a poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB) matrix, Bd[g] derivatives display stable RTP emission as a result of suppressed molecular motion and minimized environmental quenching. Benefiting from the excellent processability of PVB-based composites, the RTP materials are further shaped into customizable 3D-printed architectures featuring persistent phosphorescence, mechanical flexibility, and strong resistance to seawater. This fully mechanical “molecule-to-device” methodology establishes a practical route toward durable organic RTP systems and underscores their potential in marine sensing, underwater imaging, and long-term anticorrosion applications.