High‐Performance Fluorescent Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes Utilizing an Asymmetric Anthracene Derivative as an Electron‐Transporting Material

• Published in: Advanced materials (Weinheim) 2018-06, Vol.30 (26), p.e1707590-n/a
• Main Authors: Zhang, Dongdong, Song, Xiaozeng, Li, Haoyuan, Cai, Minghan, Bin, Zhengyang, Huang, Tianyu, Duan, Lian
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anthracene; asymmetric anthracite derivatives; Diodes; Electrons; electron‐transporting materials; Fluorescence; fluorescent organic light‐emitting diodes; Materials science; multiple intermolecular interactions; Organic light emitting diodes; Power efficiency; Quantum efficiency; thermally activated delayed fluorescent sensitizers; Transportation
• ISSN: 0935-9648; 1521-4095
• DOI: 10.1002/adma.201707590

Fluorescent organic light‐emitting diodes with thermally activated delayed fluorescent sensitizers (TSF‐OLEDs) have aroused wide attention, the power efficiencies of which, however, are limited by the mutual exclusion of high electron‐transport mobility and large triplet energy of electron‐transporting materials (ETMs). Here, an asymmetric anthracene derivative with electronic properties manipulated by different side groups is developed as an ETM to promote TSF‐OLED performances. Multiple intermolecular interactions are observed, leading to a kind of “cable‐like packing” in the crystal and favoring the simultaneous realization of high electron‐transporting mobility and good exciton‐confinement ability, albeit the low triplet energy of the ETM. The optimized TSF‐OLEDs exhibit a record‐high maximum external quantum efficiency/power efficiency of 24.6%/76.0 lm W−1, which remain 23.8%/69.0 lm W−1 at a high luminance of even 5000 cd m−2 with an extremely low operation voltage of 3.14 V. This work opens a new paradigm for designing ETMs and also paves the way toward practical application of TSF‐OLEDs. An asymmetric anthracene derivative with multiple intermolecular interactions is developed as an electron‐transporting material, realizing record‐high external quantum efficiency/power efficiency of 23.8%/69.0 lm W−1 at a high‐luminance of 5000 cd m−2 with an extremely low voltage of 3.14 V in fluorescent organic light‐emitting diodes with a thermally activated delayed fluorescence sensitizer.