Temperature Correction in a Single Luminophore Pressure‐Sensitive Paint Using a Dual‐Emitting Gold Acridine Complex

Pressure‐sensitive paints (PSPs) are becoming an increasingly powerful tool for measuring surface pressure in model‐based wind tunnel testing. PSPs operate through a luminescent molecule, known as a luminophore, that is sensitive to pressure and temperature. The latter causes large errors in the measured pressure data as the model surface heats and cools during experiments. In this regard, we introduce acridine‐based materials with coordinated (carbene)gold(I) moieties at the C‐ or N‐ positions of the acridine ligand. Gold coordination at the C‐ position (BiCAuCAcri) induces red‐centered pressure‐ and temperature‐sensitive phosphorescence, whereas complexation at the N‐ position (BiCAuNAcri) results in blue‐centered temperature‐sensitive but pressure‐insensitive fluorescence. This dual‐binding capability enables tunable luminescence pressure or temperature sensing within the same ligand system. Furthermore, coordination at both the C‐ and N‐positions results in a dimer cationic complex (BiCAuAcriDimer), which combines the pressure‐ and temperature‐sensitive red‐centered phosphorescence and blue‐centered temperature‐sensitive fluorescence into one dual‐emitting luminophore. Using this dimer complex, we have developed a single‐luminophore PSP that can “self‐correct” for the temperature‐induced error in the pressure‐sensitive signal, resulting in PSPs with a higher measured pressure accuracy.