Self-healing hydrogel containing Eu-polyoxometalate as acid-base vapor modulated luminescent switch

Herein, we demonstrate a reversible luminescence on/off switching in Eu-POM based self-healing material, which can be processed into a range of shapes. [Display omitted] •A hydrogel (EuPOM/PAMPSA) based on EuPOM and PAMPSA was readily prepared.•The hydrogel exhibits effective self-healing behavior without any external stimulus.•The hydrogel exhibits reversible on/off luminescence switching performance.•The hydrogels can be processed into a range of shapes.•The hydrogel has the potential to be as a promising “smart” material with use in smart devices, sensors, etc. The integration of self-healing ability into luminescent switches have attracted increasing interest in designing smart optical devices. In this paper, an acid-base vapor modulated luminescent switch of hydrogels based on Eu-containing polyoxometalate (EuPOM) and poly(2-acrylamido-2-methyl-1-propanesulfonicacid) (PAMPSA) was readily prepared, which can self-heal within only about few minutes under ambient atmosphere. Besides, the hydrogels can easily be shaped into any desired form by pouring into molds. These remarkable features enable the resulting hydrogel as a promising “smart” material with use in smart devices, sensors, etc.