Abstract: Inspired by the markedly stronger luminescence of sweet milk powder relative to regular pure milk powder, the synergistic luminescence enhancement effect and associated changes in photophysical properties were systematically investigated through compositional analysis and model reconstruction. Sugar-nonaromatic amino acid doped systems were subsequently constructed, demonstrating a universal synergistic luminescence enhancement effect between sugars (e.g., sucrose, glucoside) and nonaromatic amino acids (e.g., lysine, serine). Experimental results demonstrate that this synergistic effect significantly amplifies luminescence intensity and efficiency (e.g., the quantum yield of the glycoside-serine doped system increased by over 30-fold), and also prolongs the phosphorescence lifetime in some cases. Mechanistic analyses combined with theoretical calculations reveal that mixing sugars with nonaromatic amino acids strengthens intermolecular interactions, promotes through-space electron delocalization, and rigidifies conformations. This cooperation enhances both excitation and radiative transition efficiencies of the emissive species, boosting overall luminescent performance. Collectively, these findings provide valuable mechanistic insight and design guidelines for the development of novel luminescent materials based on simple bio-derived components.

Key words: Sugar, Nonaromatic amino acids, Synergistic luminescence enhancement, Room temperature phosphorescence