Singlet and triplet to doublet energy transfer: improving organic light-emitting diodes with radicals

Feng Li, Alexander J. Gillett, Qinying Gu, Junshuai Ding, Zhangwu Chen, Timothy J. H. Hele, William K. Myers, Richard H. Friend () and Emrys W. Evans ()
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Feng Li: Jilin University
Alexander J. Gillett: University of Cambridge
Qinying Gu: University of Cambridge
Junshuai Ding: Jilin University
Zhangwu Chen: Jilin University
Timothy J. H. Hele: University College London
William K. Myers: University of Oxford
Richard H. Friend: University of Cambridge
Emrys W. Evans: University of Cambridge

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) must be engineered to circumvent the efficiency limit imposed by the 3:1 ratio of triplet to singlet exciton formation following electron-hole capture. Here we show the spin nature of luminescent radicals such as TTM-3PCz allows direct energy harvesting from both singlet and triplet excitons through energy transfer, with subsequent rapid and efficient light emission from the doublet excitons. This is demonstrated with a model Thermally-Activated Delayed Fluorescence (TADF) organic semiconductor, 4CzIPN, where reverse intersystem crossing from triplets is characteristically slow (50% emission by 1 µs). The radical:TADF combination shows much faster emission via the doublet channel (80% emission by 100 ns) than the comparable TADF-only system, and sustains higher electroluminescent efficiency with increasing current density than a radical-only device. By unlocking energy transfer channels between singlet, triplet and doublet excitons, further technology opportunities are enabled for optoelectronics using organic radicals.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29759-7

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