Wide‐Range Color‐Tunable Narrowband Fluorescence Emitters Based on 1,2‐BN‐Embedded Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

X Xiaoyu Liu (Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China) Y Yayin Deng X Xingliang Wang (State Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Forestry Biosecurity, Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University) J Jingsong You (Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry) Z Zhengyang Bin (Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu 610064, People’s Republic of China)

Abstract

ABSTRACT Developing a generalizable design principle that reconciles wide‐range color tunability with intrinsically narrowband emission in polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) remains a fundamental challenge in molecular optoelectronics. Herein, we combine the aromatic localization effect (ALE) with heteroatomic topology engineering to establish a versatile 1,2‐BN‐fluoranthene embedding strategy, implemented through a concise carbazole‐assisted borylation. This approach furnishes a modular family of [B–N] 2 PAHs whose emissions span the visible‐to‐near‐infrared range (429–703 nm) while retaining exceptionally narrow full widths at half maximum (FWHM) down to 14 nm. Their chromaticities satisfy the stringent BT.2020 display standard, with selected derivatives even reaching the ultra‐high‐purity ProPhoto RGB gamut, establishing a viable platform for wide‐color‐gamut OLEDs. Representative pyrene‐ and perylene‐based [B–N] 2 PAHs display near‐unity photoluminescence quantum yields (up to 99%) and ultrahigh horizontal transition dipole ratios (up to 98.0%), enabling outstanding electroluminescence performance. Devices based on these emitters exhibit emission peaks at 481 and 542 nm with narrow FWHMs of 19 and 29 nm, respectively and achieve maximum external quantum efficiencies (EQE max ) of 35.5% and 44.3%—the first fluorescent OLEDs to surpass the 40% EQE threshold. Importantly, 1,2‐BN‐embedded PAHs rival state‐of‐the‐art 1,4‐BN‐based multiple‐resonance (MR) emitters, while offering a substantially simpler, more general synthetic blueprint readily extendable to diverse PAH architectures.

Article Details

Volume / Issue Vol. 65, Issue 21
Published May 18, 2026
ISSN 1433-7851
Publisher Wiley

Journal Info

Angewandte Chemie International Edition

Wiley

ISSN: 1433-7851 Physical Sciences

Authors (5)

X

Xiaoyu Liu

Optogenetics & Synthetic Biology Interdisciplinary Research Center, Shanghai Frontiers Science Center of Optogenetic Techniques for Cell Metabolism, School of Pharmacy, East China University of Science and Technology, 130 Mei Long Road, Shanghai 200237, China

Y

Yayin Deng

X

Xingliang Wang

State Key Laboratory of Agricultural and Forestry Biosecurity, Department of Entomology, College of Plant Protection, Nanjing Agricultural University

J

Jingsong You

Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry

Z

Zhengyang Bin

Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry and Technology of Ministry of Education, College of Chemistry, Sichuan University, 29 Wangjiang Road, Chengdu 610064, People’s Republic of China