Scientists from our Physics Department and Organic Electroactive Materials research group have made significant advances in understanding how materials absorb and release light in two recently published research papers in Nature Communications.
Led by PhD student Carolina Francener and Professor Andrew Monkman, the research explores how changing the structure of molecules can influence the light they produce, potentially helping to develop new materials for future technologies.
In the first study, researchers investigated a specially designed molecule called monohomotruxene (MHTX).
They found that it produces a cyan-blue glow that remains visible for more than 12 seconds after the light source is switched off, even at room temperature.
The molecule is made entirely from carbon and hydrogen, without the need for heavy metals to produce its unusual light-emitting properties.
The findings show how changing a molecule's shape and structure can influence the brightness, colour and duration of the light it produces.
In the future, this knowledge could help researchers develop materials for security printing, anti-counterfeiting features and specialist optical technologies.
The second study examined a different molecule, known as HzTFEX2, to investigate an unusual arrangement of energy inside molecules.
For decades, scientists have explored the possibility that certain molecules could have their energy levels arranged differently from what is normally expected.
The research team found experimental evidence supporting this unusual arrangement under carefully controlled, low-temperature conditions.
The researchers also discovered that how the molecule responds depends on how it is exposed to light and its surrounding environment.
These findings provide new insight into how molecules absorb, transfer and release energy, helping scientists better understand unusual forms of light emission.
The research findings improve understanding of how molecules absorb and release energy and could guide the development of future light-emitting materials, including those for electronic displays.
Although the studies examine different molecules, both demonstrate how understanding their structure and behaviour can help scientists control the way materials emit light.
The research involved international collaborations with scientists in Brazil, France and Japan.
Further research is needed before these findings can be developed into practical products, but the discoveries provide an important foundation for future advances in light-emitting materials.
Our Department of Physics is ranked joint 67th in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026 and fourth in the UK in the Complete University Guide 2027. Visit our Physics webpages for more information on our undergraduate and postgraduate programmes.
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