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

Organic light-emitting diodes must be engineered to circumvent efficiency limits imposed by the ratio of triplet to singlet exciton formation, following electron-hole capture. Here, authors unlock energy transfer channels between singlet, triplet and doublet excitons using thermally activated delayed fluorescence and radical emitters towards more efficient light-emitting devices. 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 mu s). 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.

Automated summary

Organic light-emitting diodes overcome efficiency limits by unlocking energy transfer channels between singlet, triplet, and doublet excitons.