Frontiers in Chemistry (Mar 2024)

Ultrafast spin-flip exciton conversion and narrowband sky-blue luminescence in a fused polycyclic selenaborin emitter

  • Sudhir K. Keshri,
  • Guanting Liu,
  • Takuma Yasuda,
  • Takuma Yasuda

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3389/fchem.2024.1375552
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12

Abstract

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Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials with high photoluminescence quantum yields and fast reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) capabilities are highly desirable for applications in high-efficiency organic light-emitting diodes. Herein, we report the synthesis as well as structural and photophysical properties of 5,9-diselena-13b-boranaphtho[3,2,1-de]anthracene (SeBSe) as a narrowband-emissive TADF material. The incorporation of two selenium atoms into the boron-fused pentacyclic π-core results in a small singlet–triplet energy gap (ΔEST) and thereby significant TADF properties. Moreover, theoretical calculations revealed a noticeable spin-orbit coupling enhancement between the singlet and triplet manifolds in SeBSe by virtue of the heavy-atom effect of selenium atoms. Consequently, SeBSe allows ultrafast spin-flip RISC with the rate constant surpassing 108 s−1, which far exceeds the corresponding fluorescence radiative decay rate (∼106 s−1), enabling an ideal singlet–triplet superimposed excited state.

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