Molecular glasses based on 1,8-naphthalimide and triphenylamine moieties as bipolar red fluorescent OLED emitters with conventional versus TADF hosting

Three new donor-acceptor molecular glasses were designed and synthesized linking 1,8-naphthalimide and triphenylamino groups though the different bridges. The comprehensive characterization of the compounds was carried out using theoretical and experimental approaches. The compounds showed efficient orange-red emission in solid state with photoluminescence intensity maxima in the range of 584-654 nm. The compounds showed extremely high thermal stability with 5 % weight loss temperatures up to 477 degrees C. They formed molecular glasses with glass-transition temperatures in the range of 161-186 degrees C. The fabricated organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on the developed emitters and conventional host showed maximum external quantum efficiency of 2.5 % in the best case. This value was increased up to 4.7 % by the usage of the host exhibiting thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). OLED containing the TADF host displayed orange emission peaking at 589 nm with colour coordinates x of 0.53 and y of 0.45 combined with power efficiency of 6.7 lm.W- 1 and current efficiency of 11.8 cd.A-1. Time-resolved electroluminescence technique was used to study the effect of the different guest-host systems on exciton utilization efficiency in devices based on the same emitter exhibiting prompt fluorescence and on the conventional or TADF hosts.

Automated summary

Three new donor-acceptor molecular glasses were synthesized using different bridges to link 1,8-naphthalimide and triphenylamino groups. The compounds exhibited efficient orange-red emission and high thermal stability. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) fabricated with these compounds achieved maximum external quantum efficiency of 4.7% when using a host with thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF).