A unique tetranuclear Ag(i) complex emitting efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence with a remarkably short decay time.

A novel tetranuclear Ag(i) complex, [Ag4(µ-DMPTP)2(POP)3][BF4]2 (Ag4N2P3), has been designed to achieve highly efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). Photophysical investigations show that the compound exhibits highly efficient TADF (Φ = 76%) and has a very short ambient-temperature TADF decay time of only 0.65 µs, corresponding to a radiative decay rate of k = Φ/τ = 1.2 × 106 s-1, a value belonging to the fast radiative rates in TADF materials.