A universal solution‐phase strategy for bright lanthanide(III) emission: aggregation‐induced emission via electronic–vibrational decoupling

Lanthanide ions (Ln³⁺) in solution typically suffer from severe luminescence quenching due to vibrational coupling with solvent molecules. Herein, we report the universal occurrence of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) via electronic–vibrational decoupling (EVD) Strategy across a series of Ln³⁺ (Tb³⁺, Sm³⁺, Dy³⁺) in solution. Systematic concentration-dependent studies reveal that increasing Ln³⁺ concentrations induce ligand sphere reorganization, lowering symmetry and enhancing electric dipole transitions, resulting in up to 42.9-fold photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) enhancement and prolonged lifetimes (e.g., Tb³⁺:169.8 μs → 444.2 μs). Moreover, implementation of the EVD strategy via solvent deuteration or DMF coordination significantly suppresses nonradiative decay, boosting PLQY by up to 4.4-fold, depending on the specific Ln³⁺. These enhancements are rationalized by coupling the excited-state energy levels of each Ln³⁺ with the vibrational modes of surrounding ligands. Our results establish AIE and EVD as generalizable and complementary strategies for enhancing Ln³⁺ photophysical properties in solution, providing new design principles for the development of efficient Ln³⁺-based materials for sensing, bioimaging, and photonic applications.