Conformational isomeric thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters: mechanism, applications, and perspectives

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials have received enormous attention and the mechanism behind them has been investigated in depth. It has been found that some donor-acceptor (D-A) type TADF emitters could obviously exhibit dual stable conformations in the ground states and their distributions significantly affect the physical properties and device performances. Therefore, professional analysis and a summary of the relationship between molecular structures and performances are very important. In this review, we first summarize the mechanism and properties of TADF emitters with conformational isomerism. We also classify their recent progress according to their different applications, and provide an outlook on their perspectives.

Automated summary

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials have attracted enormous attention and their mechanism has been extensively studied. It has been discovered that some donor-acceptor (D-A) type TADF emitters exhibit dual stable conformations in the ground state, and the distribution of these conformations significantly affects their physical properties and device performances. Therefore, a professional analysis and summary of the relationship between molecular structures and performances are crucial. In this review, the mechanism and properties of TADF emitters with conformational isomerism are summarized, recent progress in their various applications is classified, and an outlook on their perspectives is provided.