Ligand Mediated Luminescence Enhancement in Cyclometalated Rhodium(III) Complexes and Their Applications in Efficient Organic Light-Emitting Devices.

Abstract

A series of luminescent cyclometalated rhodium(III) complexes have been designed and prepared. The improved luminescence property is realized by the judicious choice of a strong σ-donor cyclometalating ligand with lower-lying intraligand (IL) state that would raise the d-d excited state and introduction of lower-lying emissive IL excited state. These complexes exhibit high thermal stability and considerable luminescence quantum yields as high as up to 0.65 in thin film offering themselves as promising light-emitting materials in OLEDs. Respectable external quantum efficiencies of up to 12.2% and operational half-lifetime of over 3,000 hours at 100 cd m-2 have been achieved. This work demonstrates a breakthrough as the first ex-ample of an efficient rhodium(III) emitter for OLED application and opens up a new avenue for diversifying the development of OLED materials with rhodium metal being utilized as phosphors.