High-Performance Blue Electroluminescence Devices Based on Linear Gold(I) Complexes as Ultrafast Triplet Exciton Harvesters

Achieving large external quantum efficiencies, narrow bandwidths, and a long operational lifetime at high brightness remains the largest hurdle to developing organic blue-emitting devices. Here, a material strategy is demonstrated that can meet these conditions. The strategy is based on linear heteroleptic Au(I) complex exciton harvesters and multiresonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence (MR-TADF) emitters. The organic electroluminescence devices produce blue emission with Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage chromaticity coordinates of (0.108, 0.160), a narrow full-width at half-maximum value of 20 nm, and a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) as high as 30.2%. Notably, the EQE value remains 22.2% at 2000 cd m⁻², whereas conventional control devices with an organic exciton harvester suffer from huge roll-offs in quantum efficiency. An additional benefit of the device is a one-order-of-magnitude improvement in its operational lifetime compared with that of the control device. Finally, the investigations reveal that the improvements are attributable to the unique ability of the Au(I) complexes for ultrafast triplet exciton harvest. In addition, the Au(I) complexes can facilitate Förster energy transfer to the MR-TADF emitter, with effective suppression of hazardous triplet–triplet Dexter energy transfer. It is believed that the research is helpful in commercializing high-efficiency and stable blue electroluminescence devices.