Narrow-band Emission Research Articles

π‐Extended Phenoxazine‐Based Asymmetric MR‐TADF Emitters for Narrow Emission Band Green OLEDs with a Power Efficiency of 150 lm W−1, an EQE of 27%, and an LT95 of Over 3000 h at 1000 cdm−2

AbstractAlthough multi‐resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescent (MR‐TADF) emitters simultaneously achieve high color purity and high efficiency in organic light‐emitting devices (OLEDs), MR‐TADF‐based OLEDs suffer from severe efficiency roll‐off and lifetime issues for practical application. To overcome these issues, a key solution is hyper OLED technology sensitized by TADF or phosphorescent emitters. In this study, a series of π‐extended phenoxazine‐based asymmetric MR‐TADF emitters for long lifetime, low‐power consumption, and narrow emission band green OLEDs is developed. As a sensitizer, a well‐known phosphorescent emitter is used, fac‐tris(2‐phenylpyridinato‐C2,N)iridium(III) [Ir(ppy)3]. Consequently, these MR‐TADF emitters achieve hyper OLEDs with a power efficiency of 150 lm W−1, an external quantum efficiency of 27%, and a long lifetime LT95 of over 3000 h at high brightness of 1000 cdm−2. These performances are among the best in scientific literature.

Near-Infrared-Emitting Helically Twisted Conjugated Frameworks Consisting of Alternant Donor-π-Acceptor Units and Multiple Boron Atoms.

A novel design strategy to construct bright and narrow near-infrared (NIR) emission materials with suppressed shoulder peaks can significantly enhance their performance in various applications. Herein, we have successfully synthesized a series of helically twisted D-π-A conjugated systems bridged by boron atoms, achieving bright red to near-infrared (NIR) emissions with notably narrow full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) values of 35 nm (0.08 eV) and photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY) up to 80 %. These compounds display red-shifted emissions up to 753 nm in higher concentrations. Cis/trans configurational isomers of multi-boron-bridged molecule BN3 exhibit similar photophysical properties. The unique combination of boron-induced coordination-enhanced charge transfer (CE-CT) and the helically twisted conjugated framework is pivotal in achieving the red-shifted, narrowband emission. X-ray crystallographic analysis of BN2 and BN3-a reveals that the extension of boron-bridged D-π-A skeletons significantly increases the distortion of the skeleton. Systematic theoretical calculations show how the boron CE-CT mechanism, in conjunction with the helical twist, leads to the narrowing of emission bands while simultaneously red-shifting them into the NIR region. This work could open new avenues for the development of advanced materials with tailored optical properties, particularly in the challenging and highly sought-after NIR spectrum.

B-211 Quantum dot-DNA nanocomposite enhanced single-molecule flow (SiM-Flow) for ultrasensitive microRNA detection in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer

Abstract Background MicroRNAs (miRs) like miR-375 and miR-1290 are associated with cancer progression and chemoresistance in metastatic castrate-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC). However, these prognostic biomarkers are typically present in low abundance (0.1∼1 fM) in patient plasma, which is close to the detection limit of the current gold standard techniques, quantitative reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Therefore, we tested a nanomaterial that incorporates quantum dots (QDs) and DNA amplicons for enhanced in-solution counting applications in plasma from a cohort of mCRPC patients. The QD-DNA nanocomposite increases the fluorescent intensity of an individual amplicon for ultrasensitive flow-counting and provides higher multiplex capacity due to the narrow emission band of QD for simple instrumentation. Methods QDs were synthesized with spectrally distinct emission bands by tuning the size or composition of CdSe core. QDs were then coated with multidentate polymer allowing further bioconjugations and better solubility in aqueous solution. The oligonucleotides complementary to amplicons generated from selected miR targets (prognostic biomarkers: miR-1290 and miR-375; normalization biomarkers: miR-16, miR-30a-5p, and cel-39) were then conjugated to QDs with optimized ratio. Total RNA was extracted from a screening cohort of 14 mCRPC patients from Huntsman Cancer Institute where platelet-poor plasma was uniformly processed with exogenous spike-in, cel-39, added in. qRT-PCR was performed using TaqMan miRNA assays, and SiM-Flow was conducted using a commercial flow cytometry to count QD barcoded enzymatic-extended miRs nanoparticles. The DNA template used for extending miRs was designed by our lab and purchased from IDT-DNA. Pearson correlation and interclass agreement analysis were applied to evaluate the concordance between the two assays. The mCRPC cohort was followed for clinical outcomes, and survival analysis for the time of progression from mCRPC to death/last follow-up was performed to determine the prognostic value of the QD-DNA nanoparticle counts. The Cox proportional hazards model was applied to linearly incorporate multiple hazard factors of patients for multivariate survival analysis. Results We demonstrated the multiplex ability of QDs with less than 5% false positive rate. The machine learning-guided optimized assay shows a 1000-time improved limit of detection of assay compared to the published literature. Interclass agreement > 0.9 and Pearson correlation of 0.94 between SiM-Flow and RT-qPCR on human plasma extracts suggest high specificity of SiM-Flow on miR detection. Also, miR-375 was identified among all the samples through SiM-Flow, although it was unidentified by qRT-PCR in 14 samples. Higher levels of miR-1290, miR-375, and prostate-specific antigen were significantly associated with poor overall survival (p=0.019) in the initial survival analysis. Survival analysis replication is ongoing in an independent mCRPC cohort. Conclusions SiM-Flow was able to detect target miRs in mCRPC patients’ plasma with a high agreement with qRT-PCR and lower detection limit and demonstrated multiplex ability with a simple optical set-up. This shows technological advancement in the detection of cancer-associated biomarkers and will aid in precision medicine therapeutic and point-of-care applications with both prognostic and predictive potential.

Elevating Red Emission: Yb3+ Doped CsPbBr1I2 Nanocrystal Glass for Exceptional PLQY and Stability in Wide Color Gamut Backlit Displays

As display technologies progress towards enhanced visual performance, there was a growing demand for color conversion materials to meet increasingly stringent performance requirements. In recent years, all-inorganic perovskite CsPbX3 (X = Cl, Br, I) nanocrystals (NCs) had gained attention in the field of wide color gamut backlight displays due to their tunable full spectrum, narrow-band emission, high color purity, and ease of processing. However, red-emitting perovskite NCs were still facing challenges with photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) and stability. In this study, Yb3+ doped CsPbBr1I2 perovskite nanocrystal glass (Yb3+@CsPbBr1I2 PNG) was synthesized using a melt-quenching technique. Samples emitting at a narrow band centered at 630nm, with a full width at half maximum(FWHM) of 31.8nm, exhibited a high PLQY of 80.36% and retained fluorescence intensity at 98.2% of the initial value in water, maintaining to 92.6% after continuous blue light irradiation for 60 days. Moreover, the optical conversion film Yb3+@CsPbBr1I2@CsPbBr3@PET developed in our study showcased color gamut coverage surpassing 132.9% of the NTSC 1953 standard and 98.8% of the Rec.2020 standard. In summary, the highly efficient and remarkably stable red-emitting Yb3+@CsPbBr1I2 PNG composite material introduced in this study paved the way for future advancements in wide color gamut and ultra-high definition backlight display technologies.

Efficient manipulation of photoluminescence by organic cations and Sb doping in hybrid manganese chlorides

Zero-dimensional (0D) Mn(II)-based hybrids with the typical d–d transitions have been rapidly developed benefitting from the environmental friendliness, blue light excitation and the high thermal stability. Herein, we first designed two novel green-emitting 0D Mn(II)-based hybrids (C16H28N)2MnCl4 and (C21H46N)2MnCl4, where the organic cations cocrystallize with four-coordinated [MnCl4]2- tetrahedrons. Upon blue-light excitation, these two crystals exhibited narrow-band green emission with distinct emission intensity and FWHM as well as thermal quenching behavior, which is analyzed by the influence of the crystal structure of different organic cations on the luminescence performance. Furthermore, multiple emission color can be observed from green to orange-red in (C16H28N)2MnCl4:Sb3+ by regulating the [SbCl5]2-/[MnCl4]2- molar ratio or excitation wavelength. Our study not only enriches the influence of organic cations on crystal structure and luminescence performance, but also provides a new direction towards realizing the multi-color emission by Sb3+ ions doping strategy.

Exciton Dissociation and Recombination Afford Narrowband Organic Afterglow Through Efficient FRET.

Organic afterglow with long-persistent luminescence (LPL) after photoexcitation is highly attractive, but the realization of narrowband afterglow with small full-width at half-maximum (FWHM) is a huge challenge since it is intrinsically contradictory to the triplet- and solid-state emission nature of organic afterglow. Here, narrow-band, long-lived, and full-color organic LPL is realized by isolating multi-resonant thermally activated delayed fluorescent (MR-TADF) fluorophores in a glassy steroid-type host through a facile melt-cooling treatment. Such prepared host becomes capable of exciton dissociation and recombination (EDR) upon photoirradiation for both long-lived fluorescence and phosphorescence; and, the efficient Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from the host to various MR-TADF emitters leads to high-performance LPL, exhibiting small FWHM of 33nm, long persistent time over 10s, and facile color-tuning in a wide range from deep-blue to orange (414-600nm). Moreover, with the extraordinary narrowband LPL and easy processability of the material, centimeter-scale flexible optical waveguide fibers and integrated FWHM/color/lifetime-resolved multilevel encryption/decryption devices have been designed and fabricated. This novel EDR and singlet/triplet-to-singlet FRET strategy to achieve excellent LPL performances illustrates a promising way for constructing flexible organic afterglow with easy preparation methods, shedding valuable scientific insights into the design of narrow-band emission in organic afterglow.

In-situ preparation of lanthanide luminescent MOF hydrogel for aldehyde detection☆

Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) usually exist in the state of powder or crystal. When they are exposed to hydrophilic solvents, their structure will change and become unstable. Therefore, it is a challenge to construct MOF materials with tunable mechanical properties. Herein, we report in-situ growth lanthanide metal-organic framework (LnMOF) in sodium alginate (SA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) hydrogel matrix. The prepared composite hydrogel not only displays characteristic lanthanide narrow-band emission under ultraviolet light, but also demonstrates excellent mechanical properties. The addition of LnMOF significantly enhances the compressive strength of the hydrogel (from 0.75 to 7.32 MPa). Furthermore, the composite hydrogel shows highly selective recognition of glutaraldehyde and gaseous formaldehyde at room temperature. The detection limits (LOD) of SP-EuMOF for glutaraldehyde and formaldehyde are 0.27 and 0.22 ppm, respectively. Based on these results, the LnMOF composite hydrogel is deemed to have significant potential as a fluorescent sensor for both glutaraldehyde and formaldehyde detection.

Insights into the Structural Modification of Selenium-Doped Derivatives with Narrowband Emissions: A Theory Study.

The research on boron/nitrogen (B/N)-based multiresonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) emitters has been a prominent topic due to their narrowband emission and high luminous efficiency. However, devices derived from the common types of narrowband TADF materials often experience an efficiency roll-off, which could be ascribed to their relatively slow triplet-singlet exciton interconversion. Since inserting the heavy Se atom into the B/N scheme has been a proven strategy to address the abovementioned issues, herein, extensive density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent DFT (TD-DFT) simulations have been employed to explore the effects of the structural modification on a series of structurally modified selenium-doped derivatives. Furthermore, the two-layered ONIOM (QM/MM) model has been employed to study the pressure effects on the crystal structure and photophysical properties of the pristine CzBSe. The theoretical results found that the introduced tert-butyl units in Cz-BSeN could result in a shorter charge transfer distance and smaller reorganization energy than the parent CzBSe. In contrast to directly incorporating the o-carborane (Cb) unit to CzBSe, incorporating the bridged phenyl units is important in order to achieve narrowband emissions and high luminous efficiency. The lowest three triplet excited states of CzBSe, Cz-BSeN and PhCb-BSeN all contribute to their triplet-singlet exciton conversions, resulting in a high utilization of triplet excitons. The pressure has an evident influence on the photophysical properties of the aggregated CzBSe and is favored for obtaining narrowband emissions. Our work is promised to provide a feasible strategy for designing selenium-doped derivatives with narrowband emissions and rapid triplet-singlet exciton interconversions.

Luminescent lanthanide metallopeptides for biomolecule sensing and cellular imaging.

Lanthanide ions display unique luminescent properties that make them particularly attractive for the development of bioprobes, including long-lived excited states that allow the implementation of time-gated experiments and the elimination of background fluorescence associated with biological media, as well as narrow emission bands in comparison with typical organic fluorophores, which allow ratiometric and multiplex assays. These luminescent complexes can be combined with peptide ligands to endow them with additional targeting, responsiveness, and selectivity, thus multiplying the opportunities for creative probe design. In this feature article we will present some of the main strategies that researchers have used to develop lanthanide metallopeptide probes for the detection of proteins and nucleic acids, as well as for monitoring enzymatic activity and cellular imaging.

Advances and Challenges in Large-Area Perovskite Light-Emitting Diodes.

Metal halide perovskite light-emitting diodes (PeLEDs) have shown promise for high-definition displays and flat-panel lighting because of their wide color gamut, narrow emission band, and high brightness. The external quantum efficiency of PeLEDs increased rapidly from ≈1% to more than 25% in the past few years. However, most of these high-performance devices are fabricated using a spin coating method with a small device area of <0.1 cm2, limiting their commercial applications. Recently, large-area PeLEDs have attracted growing attention and significant breakthroughs have been reported. This perspective first introduces the pros and cons of each technique in making large-area PeLEDs. The advances in the fabrication of large-area PeLEDs are then summarized using spin coating and mass-production methods such as inkjet printing, blade coating, and thermal evaporation. Moreover, the challenging issues will be discussed that are urgent to be solved for large-area PeLEDs.

Host Engineering of Deep‐Blue‐Fluorescent Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes with High Operational Stability and Narrowband Emission

AbstractThe realization of highly operationally stable blue organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) is a challenge in both academia and industry. This paper describes the development of anthracene–dibenzofuran host materials, 2‐(10‐(naphthalen‐1‐yl)anthracen‐9‐yl)naphtho[2,3‐b]benzofuran (Host 1) and 2‐(10‐([1,1′‐biphenyl]‐2‐yl)anthracen‐9‐yl)naphtho[2,3‐b]benzofuran (Host 2), namely for use in the emissive layer of an OLED stack. A multiple‐resonance thermally activated delayed serves as the blue fluorescence emitter and exhibits an initial luminance of 1000 cd m−2 and long operational stability (i.e., time to decay to 90% of initial luminance) of 249 h. Furthermore, a deep‐blue OLED with an optimized top‐emitting architecture with a high current efficiency of 154.3 cd A−1, is fabricated and calibrated to a Commission International de l’Éclairage y chromaticity coordinate of 0.048. Moreover, the emission spectrum of this OLED has a narrowband peak at 476 nm with a full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 16 nm. This work provides valuable insights into the design of anthracene‐based host materials and highlights the importance of host optimization in improving the operational stability of OLEDs.

Stepwise One-Shot Borylation Reactions for Intersecting DABNA Substructures Exhibiting Bright Yellow‒Green Electroluminescence with EQE Beyond 40% and Mild Roll-Off.

Boron/nitrogen (B/N)-doped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) with the multiple resonance (MR) effect are promising for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) because of their narrowband emission and thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) characteristics. Nevertheless, exploring the variety of such emitters is challenging because of the tricky and limited synthetic protocols. Herein, we designed a novel B/N-doped PAH, L-DABNA-1, whose backbone (L-DABNA) could not be achieved via conventional routes (e.g., one-pot borylation or one-shot borylation). We successfully synthesized it through stepwise one-shot borylations with precisely introducing decorations. The unique MR backbone with intersecting DABNA substructures sharing an aniline group, avoiding any para-N-π-B motif, allows L-DABNA-1 to maintain narrowband TADF emission while significantly redshifting to the yellow-green region with a reverse intersystem crossing rate (kRISC) of 1.28 × 105 s-1. An L-DABNA-1-based OLED device achieved a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of over 40% and maintained a high EQE of 36.3% at 1000 cd m-2, with a current efficiency reaching ~170 cd A-1. This work not only demonstrated the great potential of stepwise borylations in synthesizing B/N-doped PAH backbones, expanding their chemical space, but also provided a promising pathway for exploring MR-TADF emitters at longer wavelengths.

Smart sensing property of Eu3+-induced polyelectrolyte nanoaggregates on nitrofuran antibiotics in aqueous environments

Pollution of water with antibiotics is a very serious global issue. So, simple, fast, and ecofriendly detection of such pollutants in aqueous environments has aroused great attention. Several intriguing properties such as narrow emission band, large stokes shift, long luminescence decay time and resistance to photobleaching distinguishes europium-based materials from commonly used fluorophores in biology as a superior optical smart material for applications in diverse fields. Herein, strongly luminescent Eu3+-induced polyelectrolyte nanoaggregates (EINAP) were synthesized and successfully characterized. The biocompatible polysaccharides hyaluronic acid and chitosan are used to disperse organic europium complexes resulting in formation of hybrid nanoaggregates. As synthesized EINAP demonstrated excellent quantum yield (89.29 %) and luminescence lifetime (656 µs). The EINAP also have high sensitivity and low limit of detection with good analytical precision for nitrofuran antibiotics in aqueous environments. The luminescent nano sensor developed in this work could be a novel tool for assessment of antibiotic pollution in the environment. The overall sensing mechanisms for detection of nitrofurans in aqueous environments were found to be the combination of inner filter effect and photoinduced electron transfer respectively.

Improved performance of thermophotovoltaic energy conversion with Tamm plasmon emitters enabled by back gapped reflectors

A thermophotovoltaic (TPV) system that can convert thermal radiation from terrestrial heat sources into electricity, plays an important role in energy utilization, waste heat recovery and so on. In order to enhance the conversion efficiency of a TPV system having a narrow-band thermal emitter, we propose to add a back gapped reflector (BGR) to recover more out-of band (OOB) photons. We first design a Tamm plasmon thermal emitter to yield a narrow-band emission peak matching well with the bandgap of the InGaAs cell. Then, we add a BGR on the PV cell to regulate the absorption spectrum of the cell. Results show that, compared to the back surface reflector (BSR), the TPV system with the Au BGR cell has a higher power conversion efficiency (PCE), because more OOB photons are reflected back to the emitter by the Au BGR cell, so that the absorbed power by the cell decreases while the output power is improved. Due to the contribution of recycled OOB photons, at 1500 K, a 1.7 % OOB reflectance gain of the BGR (h = 0.2 μm, t = 1.2 μm) can actually increase the PCE by about 4 %. In addition, a thin PV cell and an appropriately thick air gap layer of 0.4–0.6 μm are suggested to obtain a high η × Pout. The PCE of the TPV system based on the Tamm plasmon emitter is higher and becomes saturated at a lower temperature than the broad-band SiC emitter. This work may facilitate high-performance TPV energy conversion.

Realization of narrow-band blue emission based on structurally engineering-designed Bi3+-doped phosphors

The exploration of efficient narrowband emission phosphors is crucial for white light-emitting diodes (WLEDs) in high-performance backlighting applications. Up to now, the discovery of narrow-band Bi3+-doped phosphors for emerging applications remains challenging because Bi3+ typically exhibits broadband emission properties. A novel narrow-band blue phosphor (Ca4SnGe3O12:Bi3+) was successfully synthesized, benefiting from the highly symmetric crystal environment and tightly connected rigid structure of the garnet structure. The phosphor demonstrates broad excitation in the near-ultraviolet (n-UV) region and emits narrowband blue light at 442 nm (FWHM = 36 nm) with a color purity of 94.7 %. In this paper, the assignment of different luminescence centers and the use of Zr/Hf to partially replace Sn to enhance luminescence performance are studied. The reasons for the consequent changes in luminescence behavior are explained in detail. The use of narrowband commercial red K2SiF6:Mn4+, green β-Sialon:Eu2+, and synthetic blue luminescent materials as RGB emitters covered 81 % of the National Television System Committee (NTSC) color space, demonstrating great potential for liquid-crystal-display (LCD) backlight use.

Spin-Valley-Locked Electroluminescence for High-Performance Circularly Polarized Organic Light-Emitting Diodes.

Circularly polarized (CP) organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have attracted attention in potential applications, including novel display and photonic technologies. However, conventional approaches cannot meet the requirements of device performance, such as high dissymmetry factor, high directionality, narrowband emission, simplified device structure, and low costs. Here, we demonstrate spin-valley-locked CP-OLEDs without chiral emitters but based on photonic spin-orbit coupling, where photons with opposite CP characteristics are emitted from different optical valleys. These spin-valley-locked OLEDs exhibit a narrowband emission of 16 nm, a high external quantum efficiency of 3.65%, a maximum luminance of near 98,000 cd/m2, and a gEL of up to 1.80, which are among the best performances of active single-crystal CP-OLEDs, achieved with a simple device structure. This strategy opens an avenue for practical applications toward three-dimensional displays and on-chip CP-OLEDs.

Europium Lithosilicates Li2EuSi2N4 and Li2EuSiO4-Crystal Structures and Luminescence.

With Li2EuSi2N4, the end member of the solid-solution series set up by substituting the divalent cation in the well-known host materials Li2CaSi2N4 and Li2SrSi2N4 with Eu(II) could be synthesized and described by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction and single-grain luminescence spectroscopy. The new compound crystallizes isotypically to Li2CaSi2N4 and Li2SrSi2N4 in cubic space group Pa3̅ (no. 205) with a lattice parameter of a = 10.7049(2) Å and a cell volume of V = 1226.73(7) Å3. Irradiated with blue light, Li2EuSi2N4 exhibits a narrow-band red emission (λmax = 628 nm, 1.97 eV, 15924 cm-1; fwhm = 83 nm, 0.27 eV, 2143 cm-1). Also for Li2EuSiO4, the end member of the solid-solution series of Li2SrSiO4 with Sr(II) substituted by Eu(II), luminescence emission could be measured on a single crystal (λmax = 595 nm, 2.05 eV, 16798 cm-1; fwhm = 116 nm, 0.40 eV, 3211 cm-1). In this paper, both compounds are being compared with other known members of their solid-solution series regarding structure and luminescence properties.

Creating highly efficient stretchable OLEDs with nanowavy structures for angle-independent narrow band emission

Stretchable organic light-emitting diodes (SOLEDs) have been the challenging class of OLEDs as they have limited processability to fabricate a design that can withstand external deformation. Herein, we demonstrated the highly efficient top-emitting geometrical stretchable OLED (GSOLED) by incorporating the prestretched elastomer with optical adhesive film. The experimental and theoretical characterizations verified the enhancement of device efficiencies with the light extraction phenomenon brought by nanowavy corrugated structures. Furthermore, GSOLED shows stability in stretchable conditions and displays narrower emission spectrum with improved color purity. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 21 nm shows narrowband emission with a high current efficiency and EQE of 221 cd A−1 and 39.50%. This work marks a significant step forward, providing unprecedented insights into the factors influencing device performance in current and future material systems for stretchable organic light-emitting diodes.

Narrowband Emission in Pt(II) Complexes via Ligand Engineering for Blue Phosphorescent Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes

AbstractIn this study, three stable tetradentate Pt(II) complexes are synthesized and characterized, namely, Pt‐biPh, Pt‐biPh5tBu, and Pt‐biPh4tBu, tailored for blue phosphorescent organic light‐emitting diodes to realize high‐efficiency and narrowband emissions via ligand engineering. Biphenyl (Pt‐biPh) or tert‐butyl‐modified biphenyl (Pt‐biPh5tBu and Pt‐biPh4tBu) is introduced into the carbene unit of the ligand to control the intermolecular interactions between the Pt(II) phosphors. Pt‐biPh, Pt‐biPh5tBu, and Pt‐biPh4tBu exhibit high photoluminescence quantum yields of 74%, 84%, and 92% with exciton lifetimes of 2.2, 2.3, and 2.5 µs, respectively, demonstrating rapid and efficient light emission. Furthermore, Pt‐biPh, Pt‐biPh5tBu, and Pt‐biPh4tBu show maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) values of 18.1%, 19.0%, and 21.8%, respectively. Pt‐biPh5tBu and Pt‐biPh4tBu exhibit narrowband emission with a full width at half maximum of 21 nm owing to the small vibrational emission because of their sterically hindered and bulky ligand structures. Moreover, phosphor‐sensitized thermally activated delayed fluorescence devices employing a Pt‐biPh4tBu sensitizer achieve a high EQE of 28.6%. In particular, Pt‐biPh4tBu performs better than the state‐of‐the‐art phosphor as the sensitizer of the blue phosphor‐sensitized thermally activated delayed fluorescence devices in terms of the EQE.

Rational design of narrowband deep blue MR-TADF dendrimers for high performance solution-processed all fluorescence white OLEDs

Developing solution-processable deep-blue multiple resonances thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) is a formidable challenge. Here, we using a convergent synthesis process successfully developed a series of MR-TADF dendrimers based on C=O/N resonant core (QAO). The alkyl chain alternate-linked functional dendrons not only ensure the narrow-band deep-blue emission but also enable the dendrimers with aggregation-induced emission enhancement (AIEE) properties, which efficiently mitigate the aggregation-induced exciton quenching (ACQ) and obnoxious spectral redshift broadening effect. Notably, the solution-processed deep blue MR-TADF OLEDs achieved a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 13.5 % and CIE of (0.15, 0.12) with an electroluminescence peak below 450 nm. Further using such dendrimer as a sensitizer for white OLEDs resulted in an optimized high EQE of 18.9 % and a high color-rendering index (CIR) of 81.1 for two and three optical components of white emissions, which are among the highest values of previously reported solution-processed all-fluorescence white OLEDs. This is the first attempt to construct white OLED based on an MR-TADF emitter and the satisfactory results indicate that the flexible dendron engineering strategy can effectively develop high-performance narrow band deep-blue MR-TADF for wide-color gamut display and high CIR white OLEDs.