Suppression of Dexter transfer by covalent encapsulation for efficient matrix-free narrowband deep blue hyperfluorescent OLEDs.

Hyperfluorescence shows great promise for the next generation of commercially feasible blue organic light-emitting diodes, for which eliminating the Dexter transfer to terminal emitter triplet states is key to efficiency and stability. Current devices rely on high-gap matrices to prevent Dexter transfer, which unfortunately leads to overly complex devices from a fabrication standpoint. Here we introduce a molecular design where ultranarrowband blue emitters are covalently encapsulated by insulating alkylene straps. Organic light-emitting diodes with simple emissive layers consisting of pristine thermally activated delayed fluorescence hosts doped with encapsulated terminal emitters exhibit negligible external quantum efficiency drops compared with non-doped devices, enabling a maximum external quantum efficiency of 21.5%. To explain the high efficiency in the absence of high-gap matrices, we turn to transient absorption spectroscopy. It is directly observed that Dexter transfer from a pristine thermally activated delayed fluorescence sensitizer host can be substantially reduced by an encapsulated terminal emitter, opening the door to highly efficient 'matrix-free' blue hyperfluorescence.

Soluble Diphenylhexatriene Dimers for Intramolecular Singlet Fission with High Triplet Energy.

Intramolecular singlet fission (iSF) facilitates single-molecule exciton multiplication, converting an excited singlet state to a pair of triplet states within a single molecule. A critical parameter in determining the feasibility of SF-enhanced photovoltaic designs is the triplet energy; many existing iSF materials have triplet energies too low for efficient transfer to silicon via a photon multiplier scheme. In this work, a series of six novel dimers based upon the high-triplet-energy, SF-active chromophore, 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene (DPH) [E(T1) ∼ 1.5 eV], were designed, synthesized, and characterized. Transient absorption spectroscopy and fluorescence lifetime studies reveal that five of the dimers display iSF activity, with time constants for singlet fission varying between 7 ± 2 ps and 2.2 ± 0.2 ns and a high triplet yield of 163 ± 63% in the best-performing dimer. A strong dependence of the rate of fission on the coupling geometry is demonstrated. For optimized iSF behavior, close spatial proximity and minimal through-bond communication are found to be crucial for balancing the rate of SF against the reverse recombination process.

Generating Long-Lived Triplet Excited States in Narrow Bandgap Conjugated Polymers.

Narrow bandgap conjugated polymers are a heavily studied class of organic semiconductors, but their excited states usually have a very short lifetime, limiting their scope for applications. One approach to overcome the short lifetime is to populate long-lived triplet states for which relaxation to the ground state is forbidden. However, the triplet lifetime of narrow bandgap polymer films is typically limited to a few microseconds. Here, we investigated the effect of film morphology on triplet dynamics in red-emitting conjugated polymers based on the classic benzodithiophene monomer unit with the solubilizing alkyl side chains C16 and C2C6 and then used Pd porphyrin sensitization as a further strategy to change the triplet dynamics. Using transient absorption spectroscopy, we demonstrated a 0.45 ms triplet lifetime for the more crystalline nonsensitized polymer C2C6, 2-3 orders of magnitude longer than typically reported, while the amorphous C16 had only a 5 µs lifetime. The increase is partly due to delaying bimolecular electron-hole recombination in the more crystalline C2C6, where a higher energy barrier for charge recombination is expected. A triplet lifetime of 0.4 ms was also achieved by covalently incorporating 5% of Pd porphyrin into the C16 polymer, which introduced extra energy transfer steps between the polymer and porphyrin that delayed triplet dynamics and increased the polymer triplet yield by 7.9 times. This work demonstrates two synthetic approaches to generate the longest-lived triplet excited states in narrow bandgap conjugated polymers, which is of necessity in a wide range of fields that range from organic electronics to sensors and bioapplications.

Molecular Encapsulation of Naphthalene Diimide (NDI) Based π-Conjugated Polymers: A Tool for Understanding Photoluminescence.

Conjugated polymers are an important class of chromophores for optoelectronic devices. Understanding and controlling their excited state properties, in particular, radiative and non-radiative recombination processes are among the greatest challenges that must be overcome. We report the synthesis and characterization of a molecularly encapsulated naphthalene diimide-based polymer, one of the most successfully used motifs, and explore its structural and optical properties. The molecular encapsulation enables a detailed understanding of the effect of interpolymer interactions. We reveal that the non-encapsulated analogue P(NDI-2OD-T) undergoes aggregation enhanced emission; an effect that is suppressed upon encapsulation due to an increasing π-interchain stacking distance. This suggests that decreasing π-stacking distances may be an attractive method to enhance the radiative properties of conjugated polymers in contrast to the current paradigm where it is viewed as a source of optical quenching.

Doubly Encapsulated Perylene Diimides: Effect of Molecular Encapsulation on Photophysical Properties.

Intermolecular interactions play a fundamental role on the performance of conjugated materials in organic electronic devices, as they heavily influence their optoelectronic properties. Synthetic control over the solid state properties of organic optoelectronic materials is crucial to access real life applications. Perylene diimides (PDIs) are one of the most highly studied classes of organic fluorescent dyes. In the solid state, π-π stacking suppresses their emission, limiting their use in a variety of applications. Here, we report the synthesis of a novel PDI dye that is encapsulated by four alkylene straps. X-ray crystallography indicates that intermolecular π-π stacking is completely suppressed in the crystalline state. This is further validated by the photophysical properties of the dye in both solution and solid state and supported by theoretical calculations. However, we find that the introduction of the encapsulating "arms" results in the creation of charge-transfer states which modify the excited state properties. This article demonstrates that molecular encapsulation can be used as a powerful tool to tune intermolecular interactions and thereby gain an extra level of control over the solid state properties of organic optoelectronic materials.

A Simple Molecular Design Strategy for Delayed Fluorescence toward 1000 nm.

Harnessing the near-infrared (NIR) region of the electromagnetic spectrum is exceedingly important for photovoltaics, telecommunications, and the biomedical sciences. While thermally activated delayed fluorescent (TADF) materials have attracted much interest due to their intense luminescence and narrow exchange energies (ΔEST), they are still greatly inferior to conventional fluorescent dyes in the NIR, which precludes their application. This is because securing a sufficiently strong donor-acceptor (D-A) interaction for NIR emission alongside the narrow ΔEST required for TADF is highly challenging. Here, we demonstrate that by abandoning the common polydonor model in favor of a D-A dyad structure, a sufficiently strong D-A interaction can be obtained to realize a TADF emitter capable of photoluminescence (PL) close to 1000 nm. Electroluminescence (EL) at a peak wavelength of 904 nm is also reported. This strategy is both conceptually and synthetically simple and offers a new approach to the development of future NIR TADF materials.

Intramolecular π-π Interactions with a Chiral Auxiliary Ligand Control Diastereoselectivity in a Cyclometalated Ir(III) Complex.

The application of a chiral auxiliary ligand to control the diastereoselectivity in the synthesis of a cyclometalated iridium(III) complex is presented. The diastereomeric iridium(III) complexes 1a and 1b are reported, in which a phenoxyoxazoline auxiliary ligand incorporates a chiral center functionalized with a pendant pentafluorophenyl group. The diastereomers were readily separated, and their structural, electrochemical and photophysical properties are discussed. Solution-state NMR data and X-ray crystal structures establish that the pentafluorophenyl group engages in intramolecular π-π interactions. The X-ray analysis reveals that the two diastereomers display very different modes of intramolecular stacking. The variable-temperature 19F NMR data indicate that rotation of the pendant pentafluorophenyl rings in 1b and 1a is a temperature-dependent process and that there is a smaller energy barrier to rotation in 1b in comparison to 1a. This correlates with variable-temperature photoluminescence data, which show that upon heating the integrated emission intensity is reduced substantially more for 1b than for 1a, which is ascribed to the enhanced rotation in 1b, providing a more easily populated nonradiative pathway in comparison to 1a. These experimental data are supported by computational calculations. Phosphorescent organic light-emitting devices (PhOLEDs) using 1a as the dopant complex give blue-green emission with a high maximum external quantum efficiency (EQEmax) of 25.8% (at ca. 270 cd m-2) and with a low efficiency roll-off to 24.9% at 1000 cd m-2. Our results extend the scope of ligand design for cyclometalated iridium complexes which possess interesting structural and emission properties.

Inverted device architecture for high efficiency single-layer organic light-emitting diodes with imbalanced charge transport.

Many wide-gap organic semiconductors exhibit imbalanced electron and hole transport, therefore efficient organic light-emitting diodes require a multilayer architecture of electron- and hole-transport materials to confine charge recombination to the emissive layer. Here, we show that even for emitters with imbalanced charge transport, it is possible to obtain highly efficient single-layer organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs), without the need for additional charge-transport and blocking layers. For hole-dominated emitters, an inverted single-layer device architecture with ohmic bottom-electron and top-hole contacts moves the emission zone away from the metal top electrode, thereby more than doubling the optical outcoupling efficiency. Finally, a blue-emitting inverted single-layer OLED based on thermally activated delayed fluorescence is achieved, exhibiting a high external quantum efficiency of 19% with little roll-off at high brightness, demonstrating that balanced charge transport is not a prerequisite for highly efficient single-layer OLEDs.

Synthesis and intramolecular singlet fission properties of ortho-phenylene linked oligomers of diphenylhexatriene.

In molecular dimers that undergo intramolecular singlet fission (iSF), efficient iSF is typically accompanied by triplet pair annihilation at rates which prohibit effective triplet harvesting. Collisional triplet pair separation and intramolecular separation by hopping to additional sites in extended oligomers are both strategies that have been reported to be effective for acene based iSF materials in the literature. Herein, a family of highly soluble diphenylhexatriene (DPH) oligomers were synthesized and investigated using transient absorption spectroscopy to determine whether these approaches can be applied to the non-acene singlet fission chromophore, DPH. While iSF proceeds rapidly for all three new materials, neither concentration nor oligomer size result in significantly enhanced triplet pair lifetime relative to the dilute dimer case. These null results indicate the fallibility of the collisional separation and oligomerisation strategies.

Triplet transfer from PbS quantum dots to tetracene ligands: is faster always better?

Quantum dot-organic semiconductor hybrid materials are gaining increasing attention as spin mixers for applications ranging from solar harvesting to spin memories. Triplet energy transfer between the inorganic quantum dot (QD) and organic semiconductor is a key step to understand in order to develop these applications. Here we report on the triplet energy transfer from PbS QDs to four energetically and structurally similar tetracene ligands. Even with similar ligands we find that the triplet energy transfer dynamics can vary significantly. For TIPS-tetracene derivatives with carboxylic acid, acetic acid and methanethiol anchoring groups on the short pro-cata side we find that triplet transfer occurs through a stepwise process, mediated via a surface state, whereas for monosubstituted TIPS-tetracene derivative 5-(4-benzoic acid)-12-triisopropylsilylethynyl tetracene (BAT) triplet transfer occurs directly, albeit slower, via a Dexter exchange mechanism. Even though triplet transfer is slower with BAT the overall yield is greater, as determined from upconverted emission using rubrene emitters. This work highlights that the surface-mediated transfer mechanism is plagued with parasitic loss pathways and that materials with direct Dexter-like triplet transfer are preferred for high-efficiency applications.

Intrinsic photogeneration of long-lived charges in a donor-orthogonal acceptor conjugated polymer.

Efficient charge photogeneration in conjugated polymers typically requires the presence of a second component to act as electron acceptor. Here, we report a novel low band-gap conjugated polymer with a donor/orthogonal acceptor motif: poly-2,6-(4,4-dihexadecyl-4H-cyclopenta [2,1-b:3,4-b']dithiophene)-alt-2,6-spiro [cyclopenta[2,1-b:3,4-b']dithiophene-4,9'-fluorene]-2',7'-dicarbonitrile, referred to as PCPDT-sFCN. The role of the orthogonal acceptor is to spatially isolate the LUMO from the HOMO, allowing for negligible exchange energy between electrons in these orbitals and minimising the energy gap between singlet and triplet charge transfer states. We employ ultrafast and microsecond transient absorption spectroscopy to demonstrate that, even in the absence of a separate electron acceptor, PCPDT-sFCN shows efficient charge photogeneration in both pristine solution and film. This efficient charge generation is a result of an isoenergetic singlet/triplet charge transfer state equilibrium acting as a reservoir for charge carrier formation. Furthermore, clear evidence of enhanced triplet populations, which form in less than 1 ps, is observed. Using group theory, we show that this ultrafast triplet formation is due to highly efficient, quantum mechanically allowed intersystem crossing between the bright, initially photoexcited local singlet state and the triplet charge transfer state. Remarkably, the free charges that form via the charge transfer state are extraordinarily long-lived with millisecond lifetimes, possibly due to the stabilisation imparted by the spatial separation of PCPDT-sFCN's donor and orthogonal acceptor motifs. The efficient generation of long-lived charge carriers in a pristine polymer paves the way for single-material applications such as organic photovoltaics and photodetectors.

Delayed Blue Fluorescence via Upper-Triplet State Crossing from C-C Bonded Donor-Acceptor Charge Transfer Molecules with Azatriangulene Cores.

We report the synthesis and structural and photophysical characterization of two series of molecules with functionalized azatriangulene electron donor cores and three pendant electron acceptor units. The presented donor and acceptor units are joined by C-C bonds, instead of the usual C-heteroatom bonds often found in thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters. The effects of the donor-acceptor strength and donor-acceptor dihedral angle on the emission properties are assessed. The data establish that the singlet-triplet energy gap is >0.3 eV and that delayed emission is present in only specific host matrices, irrespective of host polarity. Specific host behavior is atypical of many TADF materials, and we suggest the delayed emission in this work does not occur by a conventional vibronically coupled TADF mechanism, as the ΔE ST value is too large. Detailed photophysical analysis and supporting density functional theory calculations suggest that some presented azatriangulene molecules emit via an upper-triplet state crossing mechanism. This work highlights that several different mechanisms can be responsible for delayed emission, often with highly similar photophysics. Detailed photophysical analysis is required to establish which delayed emission mechanism is occurring. Our results also highlight a clear future direction toward vibronically coupled C-C bonded TADF materials.

Highly luminescent 2-phenylpyridine-free diiridium complexes with bulky 1,2-diarylimidazole cyclometalating ligands.

While a number of highly emissive dinuclear Ir(iii) complexes have been reported, they have generally been restricted to structures based on 2-phenylpyridine (Hppy) cyclometalates. We now present a series of new hydrazide-bridged diiridium complexes (5-8) which incorporate bulky 1,2-diarylimidazole cyclometalating ligands in the place of Hppy. Complexes 6-8 are strongly emissive when doped into poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), displaying the highest PLQYs yet reported for ppy-free diiridium emitters (ΦPL = 47-55 ± 10%). Notably, complex 8 has an emission peak at 452 nm and CIExy colour coordinates in the sky-blue region (0.18, 0.27), which is competitive with state-of-the-art monoiridium analogues. X-ray crystallography and solution-state 19F NMR spectra reveal the presence of rigidifying intramolecular π-π interactions for complexes 6-8, which explains their improved photophysical performance compared to 5 which does not have these interactions. Structure-property relationships are further rationalised through density functional theory (DFT) and cyclic voltammetry (CV) data. All the complexes studied in this work display aggregation induced phosphorescent emission (AIPE). This series of compounds increases the structural diversity of highly luminescent dinuclear Ir(iii) complexes to include luminophoric ligands that are not restricted to Hppy-type fragments. The colour range accessible to AIPE-active diiridum complexes has also been substantially broadened.

Sky-blue emitting bridged diiridium complexes: beneficial effects of intramolecular π-π stacking.

The potential of intramolecular π-π interactions to influence the photophysical properties of diiridium complexes is an unexplored topic, and provides the motivation for the present study. A series of diarylhydrazide-bridged diiridium complexes functionalised with phenylpyridine (ppy)-based cyclometalating ligands is reported. It is shown by NMR studies in solution and single crystal X-ray analysis that intramolecular π-π interactions between the bridging and cyclometalating ligands rigidify the complexes leading to high luminescence quantum efficiencies in solution and in doped films. Fluorine substituents on the phenyl rings of the bridge promote the intramolecular π-π interactions. Notably, these non-covalent interactions are harnessed in the rational design and synthesis of the first examples of highly emissive sky-blue diiridium complexes featuring conjugated bridging ligands, for which they play a vital role in the structural and photophysical properties. Experimental results are supported by computational studies.

Triazatruxene: A Rigid Central Donor Unit for a D-A3 Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence Material Exhibiting Sub-Microsecond Reverse Intersystem Crossing and Unity Quantum Yield via Multiple Singlet-Triplet State Pairs.

By inverting the common structural motif of thermally activated delayed fluorescence materials to a rigid donor core and multiple peripheral acceptors, reverse intersystem crossing (rISC) rates are demonstrated in an organic material that enables utilization of triplet excited states at faster rates than Ir-based phosphorescent materials. A combination of the inverted structure and multiple donor-acceptor interactions yields up to 30 vibronically coupled singlet and triplet states within 0.2 eV that are involved in rISC. This gives a significant enhancement to the rISC rate, leading to delayed fluorescence decay times as low as 103.9 ns. This new material also has an emission quantum yield ≈1 and a very small singlet-triplet gap. This work shows that it is possible to achieve both high photoluminescence quantum yield and fast rISC in the same molecule. Green organic light-emitting diode devices with external quantum efficiency >30% are demonstrated at 76 cd m-2.