Steric effects and electronic manipulation of multiple donors on S0/S1 transition of Dn-A emitters

Abstract

Multiple donor-acceptor (D-A) combinations represent a promising category of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials, offering potential for superior efficiency and stability. However, current systems are predominantly composed of limited donor groups, primarily carbazole-based derivatives. In this work, we developed a series of D-A type materials incorporating helical π-expanded carbazole (CzNaph) and 7H-dinaphtho[1,8-bc:1′,8′-ef]azepine (AzNaph), alongside traditional carbazole, ranging from mono- to tetra-substituted configurations (Dn-A). Through systematic investigation of geometric and electronic structures, the number and positioning of multiple donors are confirmed with significant manipulations on charge transfer characteristics and the S1 state via steric effects. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reveal that varying the number of π-extended donors within the acceptor framework produces emission colors from ultraviolet to red, providing a diverse range of emitters. Furthermore, the reduced reorganization energy of S1 observed in tetra-substituted Cz and CzNaph, as well as MonoAzN, indicates lower structural relaxation, highlighting these materials' potential as stable luminescent candidates. This study underscores the importance of diverse composing units in achieving efficient and stable TADF emitters with multiple and hetero-donor configurations.