Rational Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of Deep Blue Phosphorescent Ir(III) Complexes Containing (4′-Substituted-2′-pyridyl)-1,2,4-triazole Ancillary Ligands

Status and Challenges of Blue OLEDs: A Review

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have outperformed conventional display technologies in smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, and televisions while gradually growing to cover a sizable fraction of the solid-state lighting industry. Blue emission is a crucial chromatic component for realizing high-quality red, green, blue, and yellow (RGBY) and RGB white display technologies and solid-state lighting sources. For consumer products with desirable lifetimes and efficiency, deep blue emissions with much higher power efficiency and operation time are necessary prerequisites. This article reviews over 700 papers covering various factors, namely, the crucial role of blue emission for full-color displays and solid-state lighting, the performance status of blue OLEDs, and the systematic development of fluorescent, phosphorescent, and thermally activated delayed fluorescence blue emitters. In addition, various challenges concerning deep blue efficiency, lifetime, and approaches to realizing deeper blue emission and higher efficacy for blue OLED devices are also described.

Dinuclear Pt(II) Complexes with Red and NIR Emission Governed by Ligand Control of the Intramolecular Pt-Pt Distance

Red and near-infrared (NIR) phosphorescent double-decker dinuclear Pt(II) complexes were synthesized, and their structural and spectroscopic properties were characterized. The Pt(II) complexes, which are composed of achiral ligands and are themselves chiral, were shown to exist as racemic mixtures using single-crystal X-ray crystallography. The Pt(II) complexes have different intramolecular Pt-Pt distances that are governed by the electronic characteristics of the component C^N ligands. Specifically, strengthening of π-back-donation between Pt(II) and N atom of the C^N ligand leads to shortening of the Pt-Pt distance. The results of both experimental and computational investigations show that the Pt-Pt distances in the dinuclear Pt(II) complexes significantly influence the band gap energies and corresponding emission wavelengths. Consequently, the uncovered C^N ligand based method to finely control intramolecular Pt-Pt distances in dinuclear Pt(II) complexes can be utilized as a guideline for the design of the double-decker dinuclear Pt(II) complexes with red and NIR tuned phosphorescence.

High Triplet Energy Iridium(III) Isocyanoborato Complex for Photochemical Upconversion, Photoredox and Energy Transfer Catalysis

Cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes are often chosen as catalysts for challenging photoredox and triplet-triplet-energy-transfer (TTET) catalyzed reactions, and they are of interest for upconversion into the ultraviolet spectral range. However, the triplet energies of commonly employed Ir(III) photosensitizers are typically limited to values around 2.5-2.75 eV. Here, we report on a new Ir(III) luminophore, with an unusually high triplet energy near 3.0 eV owing to the modification of a previously reported Ir(III) complex with isocyanoborato ligands. Compared to a nonborylated cyanido precursor complex, the introduction of B(C₆F₅)₃ units in the second coordination sphere results in substantially improved photophysical properties, in particular a high luminescence quantum yield (0.87) and a long excited-state lifetime (13.0 μs), in addition to the high triplet energy. These favorable properties (including good long-term photostability) facilitate exceptionally challenging organic triplet photoreactions and (sensitized) triplet-triplet annihilation upconversion to a fluorescent singlet excited state beyond 4 eV, unusually deep in the ultraviolet region. The new Ir(III) complex photocatalyzes a sigmatropic shift and [2 + 2] cycloaddition reactions that are unattainable with common transition metal-based photosensitizers. In the presence of a sacrificial electron donor, it furthermore is applicable to demanding photoreductions, including dehalogenations, detosylations, and the degradation of a lignin model substrate. Our study demonstrates how rational ligand design of transition-metal complexes (including underexplored second coordination sphere effects) can be used to enhance their photophysical properties and thereby broaden their application potential in solar energy conversion and synthetic photochemistry.

Cyano-Isocyanide Iridium(III) Complexes with Pure Blue Phosphorescence

In this paper, we report a series of six neutral, blue-phosphorescent cyclometalated iridium complexes of the type Ir(C^Y)₂(CNAr)(CN). The cyclometalating ligands in these compounds (C^Y) are either aryl-substituted 1,2,4-triazole or NHC ligands, known to produce complexes with blue phosphorescence. These cyclometalating ligands are paired with π-acidic, strongly σ-donating cyano and aryl isocyanide (CNAr) ancillary ligands, the hypothesis being that these ancillary ligands would destabilize the higher-lying ligand-field (d-d) excited states, allowing efficient blue photoluminescence. The compounds are prepared by substituting the cyanide ancillary ligand onto a chloride precursor and are characterized by NMR, mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, and, for five of the compounds, by X-ray crystallography. Cyclic voltammetry establishes that these compounds have large HOMO-LUMO gaps. The mixed cyano-isocyanide compounds are weakly luminescent in solution, but they phosphoresce with moderate to good efficiency when doped into poly(methyl methacrylate) films, with Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage coordinates that indicate deep blue emission for five of the six compounds. The photophysical studies show that the photoluminescence quantum yields are greatly enhanced in the cyano complexes relative to the chloride precursors, affirming the benefit of strong-field ancillary ligands in the design of blue-phosphorescent complexes. Density functional theory calculations confirm that this enhancement arises from a significant destabilization of the higher-energy ligand-field states in the cyanide complexes relative to the chloride precursors.

Efficient blue, green and red iridium(iii) complexes with noncovalently-linked pyrazole/pyrazolide rings for organic light-emitting diodes

Blue, green and red iridium(iii) complexes using a new pyrazole/pyrazolide ancillary ligand system, and their application in OLEDs with EQEs of up to 21.0% and low efficiency roll-off.

Polypyridyl ligands as a versatile platform for solid-state light-emitting devices

A comprehensive review of tuneable polypyridine complexes as the emissive components of OLED and LEC devices is presented, with a view to bridging the gap between molecular design and commercialization.

Deep Blue Phosphorescent Organic Light-Emitting Diodes with CIEy Value of 0.11 and External Quantum Efficiency up to 22.5

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on red and green phosphorescent iridium complexes are successfully commercialized in displays and solid-state lighting. However, blue ones still remain a challenge on account of their relatively dissatisfactory Commission International de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates and low efficiency. After analyzing the reported blue iridium complexes in the literature, a new deep-blue-emitting iridium complex with improved photoluminescence quantum yield is designed and synthesized. By rational screening host materials showing high triplet energy level in neat film as well as the OLED architecture to balance electron and hole recombination, highly efficient deep-blue-emission OLEDs with a CIE at (0.15, 0.11) and maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) up to 22.5% are demonstrated. Based on the transition dipole moment vector measurement with a variable-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry method, the ultrahigh EQE is assigned to a preferred horizontal dipole orientation of the iridium complex in doped film, which is beneficial for light extraction from the OLEDs.

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.

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.

Multimodal Probes: Superresolution and Transmission Electron Microscopy Imaging of Mitochondria, and Oxygen Mapping of Cells, Using Small-Molecule Ir(III) Luminescent Complexes

We describe an Ir(III)-based small-molecule, multimodal probe for use in both light and electron microscopy. The direct correlation of data between light- and electron-microscopy-based imaging to investigate cellular processes at the ultrastructure level is a current challenge, requiring both dyes that must be brightly emissive for luminescence imaging and scatter electrons to give contrast for electron microscopy, at a single working concentration suitable for both methods. Here we describe the use of Ir(III) complexes as probes that provide excellent image contrast and quality for both luminescence and electron microscopy imaging, at the same working concentration. Significant contrast enhancement of cellular mitochondria was observed in transmission electron microscopy imaging, with and without the use of typical contrast agents. The specificity for cellular mitochondria was also confirmed with MitoTracker using confocal and 3D-structured illumination microscopy. These phosphorescent dyes are part of a very exclusive group of transition-metal complexes that enable imaging beyond the diffraction limit. Triplet excited-state phosphorescence was also utilized to probe the O₂ concentration at the mitochondria in vitro, using lifetime mapping techniques.

Theoretical perspective of FIrpic derivatives: relationship between structures and photophysical properties

The phosphorescent properties of a series of potential blue-emitting Ir(III) complexes (C^N)₂Ir(N^N') are studied by means of the density functional theory/time-dependent density functional theory (DFT/TDDFT). Their possibilities to be blue-emitting phosphors are theoretically evaluated by the electroluminescence (EL) performance and phosphorescence quantum yield. The effect of two different substituents attached on the difluorophenyl ring is explored by comparison of the complexes in groups I (1a-4a) and II (1b-4b). Furthermore, to explore the influence of the stronger electron-donating/withdrawing group substituted on the primary ligand, the properties of complexes 1c and 1d are estimated. All the substituents are added on the para-position of the corresponding ring. The comparable radiative rate constant (k_r) and nonradiative rate constant (k_nr) result in the similar quantum yield for complexes in two groups. Besides, the balance of the reorganization energies for complexes 2b-4b is better than others.

Bis-cyclometalated iridium complexes with electronically modified aryl isocyanide ancillary ligands

Bis-cyclometalated iridium complexes with electronically modified aryl isocyanide ligands are described, and the effects on the photophysical properties are noted.

Regioselective magnesiation of N-heterocyclic molecules: securing insecure cyclic anions by a β-diketiminate-magnesium clamp

Surpassing traditional organolithium bases, regioselective magnesiation of N-heterocyclic molecules is accomplished using a Mg base with a β-diketiminate steric stabilizer.

Blue-emitting heteroleptic Ir(iii) phosphors with functional 2,3′-bipyridine or 2-(pyrimidin-5-yl)pyridine cyclometalates

Ir(iii) complexes with functional 2-(pyrimidin-5-yl)pyridine cyclometalates display blue electroluminescence with CIE_x,y coordinates occurring at (0.16, 0.17) at 100 cd m⁻².

Ir(iii) complexes designed for light-emitting devices: beyond the luminescence color array

This Perspective highlights the photophysics and recent breakthroughs in the study of emissive Ir(iii) compounds, including a personal account elucidating the role of molecular and electronic structures in controlling the photophysics of heteroleptic [Ir(N^C)₂(L^X)]⁺ complexes.

Synthesis, physical and electroluminescence properties of 3,6-dipyrenylcarbazole end capped oligofluorenes

A series of oligofluorenes bearing 3,6-dipyrenylcarbazoles as the terminal substituents showed strong blue emission with good solubility, and thermally stable amorphous and excellent film-forming properties. OLEDs using these materials exhibited excellent device performance.

(5-Methyl-pyrazine-2-carboxyl-ato-κ(2) N (1),O)bis-[2-(4-methyl-pyridin-2-yl-κN)-3,5-bis-(tri-fluoro-meth-yl)phenyl-κC (1)]iridium(III) chloro-form hemisolvate

In the title complex, [Ir(C₁₄H₈F₆N)₂(C₆H₅N₂O₂)]·0.5CHCl₃, the Ir^III atom adopts a distorted octa­hedral geometry, being coordinated by three N atoms (arranged meridionally), two C atoms and one O atom of three bidentate ligands. The complex mol­ecules pack with no specific inter­molecular inter­actions between them. The SQUEEZE procedure in PLATON [Spek (2009 ▶). Acta Cryst. D65, 148–155] was used to model a disordered chloro­form solvent mol­ecule; the calculated unit-cell data allow for the presence of half of this mol­ecule in the asymmetric unit.