Realizing efficient blue and deep-blue delayed fluorescence materials with record-beating electroluminescence efficiencies of 43.4%

As promising luminescent materials for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), thermally activated delayed fluorescence materials are booming vigorously in recent years, but robust blue ones still remain challenging. Herein, we report three highly efficient blue and deep-blue delayed fluorescence materials comprised of a weak electron acceptor chromeno[3,2-c]carbazol-8(5H)-one with a rigid polycyclic structure and a weak electron donor spiro[acridine-9,9'-xanthene]. They hold distinguished merits of excellent photoluminescence quantum yields (99%), ultrahigh horizontal transition dipole ratios (93.6%), and fast radiative transition and reverse intersystem crossing, which furnish superb blue and deep-blue electroluminescence with Commission Internationale de I'Eclairage coordinates (CIEx,y) of (0.14, 0.18) and (0.14, 0.15) and record-beating external quantum efficiencies (eta(ext)s) of 43.4% and 41.3%, respectively. Their efficiency roll-offs are successfully reduced by suppressing triplet-triplet and singlet-singlet annihilations. Moreover, high-performance deep-blue and green hyperfluorescence OLEDs are achieved by utilizing these materials as sensitizers for multi-resonance delayed fluorescence dopants, providing state-of-the-art eta(ext)s of 32.5% (CIEx,y = 0.14, 0.10) and 37.6% (CIEx,y = 0.32, 0.64), respectively, as well as greatly advanced operational lifetimes. These splendid results can surely inspire the development of blue and deep-blue luminescent materials and devices. Thermally activated delayed fluorescence materials are important for the development of OLED materials but the development of robust blue emitting materials remains challenging. Here, the authors report three highly efficient blue and deepblue delayed fluorescence materials demonstrating excellent electroluminescence performance.

Automated summary

Three highly efficient blue and deep-blue delayed fluorescence materials with excellent electroluminescence performance were reported. They exhibit superb blue and deep-blue electroluminescence and were successfully used as sensitizers for high-performance deep-blue and green hyperfluorescence OLEDs.