In this research, a comprehensive series of Pr³⁺-doped lithium niobate and sodium niobate materials were obtained at different temperatures via solid-state sintering, and their structures and properties were compared. NaNbO₃: 0.75% Pr³⁺ phosphors were synthesized by sintering at 1150 °C for 2 h and emitted red persistent luminescence for more than 1200 s, peaking at 612 nm under UV excitation, which was a typical long persistent luminescence phenomenon. Furthermore, the sample glowed when pressurized, and a red bright luminescence which lasted for several seconds was visible to the naked eye. This was a typical mechanical luminescence phenomenon of samples under mechanical stress, directly converting mechanical energy into light energy. It was determined that NaNbO₃:Pr³⁺ and LiNbO₃:Pr³⁺ both possess multimode luminescence. Owing to their red long persistent luminescence (LPL) and mechano-luminescence (ML) properties, Pr³⁺ phosphors can be employed in fields, such as display technologies, stress sensing, structural damage detection, and other complex applications.

In recent years, as a kind of functional material that can directly convert mechanical energy into light energy, mechanoluminescent (ML) materials have shown a broad application in the fields of sensing, medical treatment, and information storage.Progress of ML materials are reviewed in this paper, including their luminescence mechanism, classification, developmental history, representative material systems, and application. The luminescence intensity, sensitivity and stability of the materials can be significantly optimized by modulating the matrix composition, doping ions, and synthesis methods. In terms of applications, ML materials have been successfully used in biosensing, healthcare, information storage, smart wearables, and anti-counterfeiting imaging. In the future, with the further improvement of material properties and the integration with artificial intelligence and other technologies, ML materials are expected to realize a wider range of application prospects in areas such as the Internet of Things, smart sensing, and green energy.