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Cr3+‐activated broadband near‐infrared (NIR) phosphors, featured by the octahedral coordination preference and strong absorption in visible (Vis) region, have great potential application in nondestructive assessment. It is still a challenge to develop Cr3+‐doped phosphors with the tetrahedrally coordinated Cr3+ NIR emission behavior and ultra‐wide Vis–NIR luminescence. Herein, an unusual NIR‐emitting Mg2Al4Si5O18:Cr3+ phosphor offers emission peak at 867 nm with full‐width at half‐maximum of 237 nm due to preferential occupation of the AlO4 tetrahedra by Cr3+ as demonstrated by structural and optical properties studies. Eu2+–Cr3+ energy transfer is proposed to induce ultra‐wide Vis–NIR Mg2Al4Si5O18:Eu2+,Cr3+ phosphors with more efficient NIR emission and lower thermal quenching behavior of Cr3+. The fabricated Vis–NIR phosphor‐converted light‐emitting diode is expected to be an alternative to halogen lamp in hyperspectral imaging. This work reveals the luminescence behavior of Cr3+ in tetrahedra and demonstrates the application of Mg2Al4Si5O18:Eu2+,Cr3+ phosphor in hyperspectral imaging, which will facilitate further research on NIR and Vis–NIR phosphors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: State‐of‐the‐art near‐infrared lasers based on poly[N‐9′‐heptadecanyl‐2,7‐carbazole‐alt‐5,5‐(4′,7′‐di‐2‐thienyl‐2′,1′,3′‐benzothiadiazole)] (PCDTBT) and poly(9,9‐dioctylfluorene‐alt‐benzothiadiazole) (F8BT) blends are reported. Polymer light‐emitting diodes (PLEDs) based on PCDTBT/F8BT blends with 30 wt% PCDTBT content exhibit a maximum radiance of 64.3 W sr−1 m−2 and external quantum efficiency of 2.11% with Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates (x = 0.69, y = 0.30). Using an optimal blend ratio of 15 wt% PCDTBT in F8BT, a maximum gain value of 28.2 cm−1 at 710 nm is achieved, a remarkable value given that PCDTBT is a low emissive polymer extensively employed as donor polymer in organic photovoltaics. The lowest amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) and laser thresholds exhibited by the blends are 590 nJ pulse−1 (21 µJ cm−2) and 63.1 nJ pulse−1 (201 µJ cm−2). Transient absorption spectroscopy confirms efficient Förster resonant energy transfer from F8BT to PCDTBT which, together with the large miscibility of PCDTBT in F8BT, enables PCDTBT emission enhancement and optical gain. Furthermore, a ternary blend system composed of F8BT, PCDTBT, and poly(3‐hexylthiophene) is demonstrated, in which the ASE wavelength can be tuned in a 60 nm range from 650 to 710 nm at a very low threshold level via control of the blend content ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]