Construction of high-performance circularly polarized multiple-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence materials via the structural optimization of peripheral groups

Circularly polarized multiple-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (CP-MR-TADF) materials have attracted increasing attention recently, but it is still a formidable challenge to design materials with a large asymmetry factor (g), narrowband emission and high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) simultaneously. Here, we perform a systematic theoretical study on the design of high-performance CP-MR-TADF materials via the structural optimization of peripheral groups. It was found that the introduction of relatively weak electron-donating/withdrawing groups is in favor of optimizing the & theta;(& mu;,m) values and increasing the g values, and the molecular modification with sterically hindered groups (-CF3 and -C(CN)(3)) could further optimize the molecular helical arrangement with a & phi;(1) (a dihedral angle between QAO and an intermediate benzene ring) of 60-70 & DEG; and enhance the chirality with g values on the order of 10(-3)-10(-2). The molecules possessing electron-withdrawing units exhibit excellent circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) properties evaluated with a figure of merit (FM) by comprehensively considering the balance between the g value and the PLQY. So the electron-donating/withdrawing abilities of the peripheral groups and the steric hindrance effects should be two key optimization parameters in constructing high-performance materials. These findings and insights are of great importance for revealing the structure-property relationship and providing in-depth understanding of the design of such helical CP-MR-TADF materials.

Automated summary

Circularly polarized multiple-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (CP-MR-TADF) materials with large asymmetry factor (g), narrowband emission and high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) are still a formidable challenge to design. In this study, we optimize the peripheral groups to design high-performance CP-MR-TADF materials and found that the introduction of weak electron-donating/withdrawing groups and molecular modification with sterically hindered groups can enhance the chirality and luminescent properties. The electron-donating/withdrawing abilities of the peripheral groups and steric hindrance effects are two key optimization parameters for constructing high-performance materials.