Stepwise Molecular Engineering Toward High‐Performance Deep‐Blue Narrowband OLEDs: Rigidity as the Foundation, Symmetry as the Key

Y Yitong Zeng (Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China) J Jun‐Tao Hu (Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China) G Guo‐Xi Yang (Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China) Z Zhizhi Li (Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China) M Mingliang Xie (Dongguan VOLT‐AMP Optoelectronic Technology Co. Ltd Dongguan P. R. China) X Xianjie Li (Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy & Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China) Z Zhihai Yang (Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China) Y Yu Fu Y Yongxia Ren S Shaofeng Chen (Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy & Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China) X Xiangyi Cheng (Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China) M Mengke Li Y Yuguang Ma J Junji Kido (Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China) S Shi‐Jian Su (Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Developing high‐color‐purity deep‐blue emitters that meet the BT.2020 standard remains a critical challenge in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs). Herein, a stepwise molecular engineering strategy for simultaneously accelerating reverse intersystem crossing rate ( k RISC ) and narrowing full‐width at half maxima (FWHM) is proposed for deep‐blue materials. By sequentially enhancing molecular rigidity, strengthening resonant strength, and completing molecular symmetry, a deep‐blue emitter (DBNDICz), constructed on modified diboron multiple‐resonance scaffold, is developed with peak of 452 nm, ultra‐narrow FWHM of 15 nm (0.08 eV) and k RISC of 3.0 × 10 5  s − 1 . The dominant υ 0‐0 transition character of DBNDICz produces a Commission Internationale de I’Éclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.144, 0.060). Moreover, the expanded conjugated skeleton facilitates horizontal dipole orientation of 93%, leading to a high maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE max ) of 24.2% in bottom‐emitting OLEDs. Impressively, top‐emitting OLED achieves a record‐setting blue index of 514 cd A − 1 CIEy − 1 with CIE (0.146, 0.036) and EQE max of 45.2%, establishing a benchmark for state‐of‐the‐art deep‐blue devices. Additionally, an operational lifetime (LT 50 ) of 154.2 h is achieved in an anthracene‐based host. These results represent one of the best performances reported for deep‐blue OLEDs with CIEy≤ 0.06, providing a robust design paradigm for high‐performance narrowband deep‐blue TADF emitters.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 65, Issue 19
Published May 04, 2026
ISSN 1433-7851
Publisher Wiley

Journal Info

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Wiley

ISSN: 1433-7851 Physical Sciences

Authors (15)

Y

Yitong Zeng

Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China

J

Jun‐Tao Hu

Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China

G

Guo‐Xi Yang

Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China

Z

Zhizhi Li

Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China

M

Mingliang Xie

Dongguan VOLT‐AMP Optoelectronic Technology Co. Ltd Dongguan P. R. China

X

Xianjie Li

Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy & Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China

Z

Zhihai Yang

Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China

Y

Yu Fu

Y

Yongxia Ren

S

Shaofeng Chen

Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy & Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China

X

Xiangyi Cheng

Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China

M

Mengke Li

Y

Yuguang Ma

J

Junji Kido

Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China

S

Shi‐Jian Su

Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy and Information Polymer Materials Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices State Key Laboratory of Luminescent Materials and Devices South China University of Technology Guangzhou P. R. China