The Important Role of Carbonyl in Accelerating Reverse Intersystem Crossing for Selenium‐Based Organoboron Narrowband Blue Emitters

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 Yuling Chen Z Zijian Chen (State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Frontiers Science Center for Smart Materials, School of Chemical Engineering) S Suyu Liao (College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Key Laboratory for Preparation and Application of Ordered Structure Materials of Guangdong Province Shantou University Shantou P. R. China) X Xinge Li S Sheng Liao (Department of Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Preparation and Application of Ordered Structural Materials of Guangdong Province, Shantou University 2 , Shantou 515063,) D Denghui Liu G Guanwei Sun (Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy & Information Polymer Materials 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) S Simin Jiang (School of Materials Science and Engineering) J JunTao Hu Y Yu Fu X Xuewei Nie (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) 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) T Tong Wang M Mengke Li M Ming‐De Li (School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensing Physics and System Integration Applications Guangdong University of Technology Guangzhou Guangdong P.R. China) 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 Narrowband emissive polycyclic aromatic heterocycles (PAHs) featuring multiple resonance thermally‐activated delayed fluorescence (MR‐TADF) are capable of achieving high color purity with high exciton utilization efficiency via reverse intersystem crossing (RISC). However, thermally‐activated RISC remains the rate‐limiting step in MR‐TADF molecules due to the typically large singlet and triplet energy gap (Δ E ST ) and weak spin‐orbital coupling. To overcome this challenge, we introduce three carbonyl‐containing organoboron PAHs doped with selenium atoms (pSeXBNO, 1pSeXBN, and pSeXBN) for the first time. Introducing single or dual selenium‐embedded carbonyl heterocycles into the MR core enables significant orbital delocalization of carbonyls, resulting in small Δ E ST and ultrafast RISC rates of 7.5 × 10 6 s −1 for pSeXBNO, 1.5 × 10 7 s −1 for 1pSeXBN, and 4.8 × 10 7 s −1 for pSeXBN. The non‐sensitized OLED employing pSeXBN achieves an emission peak at 478 nm with a narrow bandwidth of 28 nm, along with a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 32.6% and retaining 28.4% at 1000 cd m −2 , representing state‐of‐the‐art performance for blue MR‐TADF materials. Moreover, bi‐color white OLED employing pSeXBN exhibits excellent performance with a maximum EQE of 30.9% and 23.2% retained at 1000 cd m −2 . These advances demonstrate the role of carbonyl here is of significant guidance in forwarding narrowband blue materials.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 65, Issue 12
Published March 16, 2026
ISSN 1433-7851
Publisher Wiley

Journal Info

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Wiley

ISSN: 1433-7851 Physical Sciences

Authors (20)

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

Yuling Chen

Z

Zijian Chen

State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Frontiers Science Center for Smart Materials, School of Chemical Engineering

S

Suyu Liao

College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Key Laboratory for Preparation and Application of Ordered Structure Materials of Guangdong Province Shantou University Shantou P. R. China

X

Xinge Li

S

Sheng Liao

Department of Chemistry and Key Laboratory for Preparation and Application of Ordered Structural Materials of Guangdong Province, Shantou University 2 , Shantou 515063,

D

Denghui Liu

G

Guanwei Sun

Institute of Polymer Optoelectronic Materials and Devices Guangdong Basic Research Center of Excellence for Energy & Information Polymer Materials 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

S

Simin Jiang

School of Materials Science and Engineering

J

JunTao Hu

Y

Yu Fu

X

Xuewei Nie

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

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

T

Tong Wang

M

Mengke Li

M

Ming‐De Li

School of Physics and Optoelectronic Engineering & Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Sensing Physics and System Integration Applications Guangdong University of Technology Guangzhou Guangdong P.R. China

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