A Twist in biphthalimide-based chromophores enables thermally activated delayed fluorescence

Abstract

Thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitters, which convert nonemissive triplets into emissive singlets, have garnered tremendous impetus as next-generation organic electroluminescent materials. Employing donor−acceptor (D−A) designs to produce intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) states is considered an attractive strategy to effectively reduce the singlet− triplet (ΔEST) gap, thereby enhancing reverse intersystem crossing (rISC) in TADF emitters. Herein, we report two ICT chromophores (BP-1TPA and BP-2TPA) utilizing a rational design strategy based on a twisted biphthalimide acceptor core integrated with varying triphenylamine donors. We accomplish efficient TADF emission with a high photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of ∼80% at ambient conditions from poly(methyl methacrylate)-doped films of these chromophores. Twisting the acceptor core ensures the separation of natural transition orbitals, leading to small ΔEST and generates an intermediate triplet excited state to facilitate rISC. The present study, therefore, sheds light on how delayed fluorescence can be realized from a simple twisted phthalimide core by rational molecular engineering and enables new insights toward exploring the aromatic imide class of molecules as potential organic light-emitting materials.