A highly efficient near infrared organic solid fluorophore based on naphthothiadiazole derivatives with aggregation-induced emission enhancement for a non-doped electroluminescent device

Improving the Electroluminescence Properties of New Chrysene Derivatives with High Color Purity for Deep-Blue OLEDs

Two blue-emitting materials, 4-(12-([1,1':3',1″-terphenyl]-5'-yl)chrysen-6-yl)-N,N-diphenylaniline (TPA-C-TP) and 6-([1,1':3',1″-terphenyl]-5'-yl)-12-(4-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl)phenyl)chrysene (TPE-C-TP), were prepared with the composition of a chrysene core moiety and terphenyl (TP), triphenyl amine (TPA), and tetraphenylethylene (TPE) moieties as side groups. The maximum photoluminescence (PL) emission wavelengths of TPA-C-TP and TPE-C-TP were 435 and 369 nm in the solution state and 444 and 471 nm in the film state. TPA-C-TP effectively prevented intermolecular packing through the introduction of TPA, a bulky aromatic amine group, and it showed an excellent photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 86% in the film state. TPE-C-TP exhibited aggregation-induced emission; the PLQY increased dramatically from 0.1% to 78% from the solution state to the film state. The two synthesized materials had excellent thermal stability, with a high decomposition temperature exceeding 460 °C. The two compounds were used as emitting layers in a non-doped device. The TPA-C-TP device achieved excellent electroluminescence (EL) performance, with Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage co-ordinates of (0.15, 0.07) and an external quantum efficiency of 4.13%, corresponding to an EL peak wavelength of 439 nm.

A deep-red fluorophore based on naphthothiadiazole as emitter with hybridized local and charge transfer and ambipolar transporting properties for electroluminescent devices

Herein, we report the synthesis and characterization of an efficient ambipolar charge-carrier-transporting deep-red fluorophore (TPECNz) based on a donor-acceptor-donor (D-A-D)-type molecule and its application as a non-doped emitter in an organic light-emitting diode (OLED). The fluorophore TPECNz contains naphtho[2,3-c][1,2,5]thiadiazole (Nz) as a strong acceptor unit symmetrically functionalized with N-(4-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl)phenyl)carbazole as a donor and aggregation-induced emission (AIE) luminogen. The experimental (solvatochromic and emission in THF/water mixtures studies) and theoretical investigations prove that TPECNz retains cooperative hybridized local and charge transfer (HLCT) and weak AIE features. Thanks to its D-A-D-type structure with a proper twist angle between the D and A units, a strong electron deficiency of the Nz unit, and electron-donating and hole-transporting natures of carbazole, TPECNz exhibits a strong deep red emission (λem = 648 nm) with a high fluorescence quantum yield of 96%, outstanding thermal property (Tg = 236 °C), and ambipolar charge-carrier-transporting property with a decent balance of mobility of electrons (1.50 × 10-5 cm2 V-1 s-1) and holes (4.42 × 10-6 cm2 V-1 s-1). TPECNz is successfully employed as a non-doped emitter in an OLED which displays deep red electroluminescent emission peaked at 659 nm with CIE coordinates of (0.664, 0.335)), an EQEmax of 3.32% and exciton utilization efficiency (EUE) of 47%.

Progresses and Perspectives of Near-Infrared Emission Materials with "Heavy Metal-Free" Organic Compounds for Electroluminescence

Organic/polymer light-emitting diodes (OLEDs/PLEDs) have attracted a rising number of investigations due to their promising applications for high-resolution fullcolor displays and energy-saving solid-state lightings. Near-infrared (NIR) emitting dyes have gained increasing attention for their potential applications in electroluminescence and optical imaging in optical tele-communication platforms, sensing and medical diagnosis in recent decades. And a growing number of people focus on the "heavy metal-free" NIR electroluminescent materials to gain more design freedom with cost advantage. This review presents recent progresses in conjugated polymers and organic molecules for OLEDs/PLEDs according to their different luminous mechanism and constructing systems. The relationships between the organic fluorophores structures and electroluminescence properties are the main focus of this review. Finally, the approaches to enhance the performance of NIR OLEDs/PLEDs are described briefly. We hope that this review could provide a new perspective for NIR materials and inspire breakthroughs in fundamental research and applications.

A donor-π-acceptor aggregation-induced emission compound serving as a portable fluorescent sensor for detection and differentiation of methanol and ethanol in the gas phase

The design strategy of aggregation-induced emission (AIE) fluorophores with donor-π-acceptor (D-π-A) conjugation structure has greatly contributed to the development of luminescent materials and devices, including volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sensors. In this work, a D-π-A fluorophore DEBAB was synthesized, showing both AIE and intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) properties as confirmed by spectroscopic data and quantum chemical calculations. Furthermore, there is notable emission-enhancement when DEBAB is exposed to small-molecule alcohols, such as methanol and ethanol. Based on this phenomenon, a portable film sensor was fabricated, capable of detecting methanol and ethanol in gas phase, with detection limit (DL) as low as 8.02 ppm. Our systematic investigation suggests that hydrogen-bonding may be formed between DEBAB and alcohols, intensifying the AIE efficacy while influencing the ICT process. This working mechanism is supported by density functional theory (DFT) calculations including electrostatic potential mapping and molecular total energy. In addition, a sensor array was fabricated on a cellulose paper strip, showing different levels of emission changing in response to alcohols. Thus the detection and differentiation of methanol and ethanol are enabled.

The improvement in hole-transporting and electroluminescent properties of diketopyrrolopyrrole pigment by grafting with carbazole dendrons

Diketopyrrolopyrrole (DPP) pigments are essential and have been intensively exploited as building-blocks for the synthesis of organic semiconducting polymers and small molecules; however, DPP derivatives as emissive materials for electroluminescent (EL) devices have rarely been explored. In this work, a series of new DPP derivatives grafted with carbazole dendrons in a non-conjugated fashion using an amide linkage was designed to improve the performance of DPP in EL devices. Three DPP derivatives (G0DPP, G1DPP and G2DPP) bearing di(p-chlorophenyl)-DPP (Pigment Red 254) as the core substituted with a hexyl chain, N-hexyl carbazole and N-hexyl-N'-9,3':6',N''-tercarbazole, respectively, were synthesized to afford improved hole-transporting properties without affecting the photophysical and electronic properties of the DPP core. The synthesized DPP derivatives displayed an intense yellow fluorescence emission peaked at 536 nm with an absolute photoluminescence quantum yield close to unity in solution. The hole-transporting capability of molecules was improved when carbazole dendrons were incorporated, which increased with an increase in the generation of substituent carbazole dendrons in the order of G0DPP < G1DPP < G2DPP. Significantly, the use of G2DPP, showing the highest hole mobility, in an EL device yielded a strong and stable yellow emission peaked at 556 nm (CIE x, y color coordinates of (0.45, 0.53)) with a brightness of 3060 cd m-2, maximum luminous efficiency of 9.24 cd A-1 and a maximum EQE of 3.11%.

Enhancement of the electroluminescence properties of iridium-complexes by decorating the ligand with hole-transporting carbazole dendrons

Iridium-complexes decorating with carbazole dendrons exhibit an improved hole-transporting capability and OLED devices with brightness of 16 170 cd m⁻², maximum luminous efficiency of 13.59 cd A⁻¹ and maximum EQE of 4.36%.