Shota Haseyama

Emission properties of thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitters: Analysis based on a four-level model considering a higher triplet excited state

Abstract. A four-level model consisting of a higher triplet excited state (T2), the lowest singlet and triplet excited states (S1 and T1), and the ground state was previously used to understand emission properties of a thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitter, 1,2,3,5-tetrakis(carbazol-9-yl)-4,6-dicyanobenzene (4CzIPN). In this report, we discuss the four-level model in more detail and apply to the other two TADF emitters, i.e., 1,2,4,5-tetrakis(carbazol-9-yl)-3,6-dicyanobenzene (4CzTPN) and 1,2-bis(carbazol-9-yl)-4,5-dicyanobenzene (2CzPN), in order to determine their excited-state structures. It is suggested that in all the emitters T2 lies between S1 and T1 and play an essential role in the emitting process. In 4CzTPN, phosphorescence from T2 is clearly observed around 100 K as in 4CzIPN. Compared to the other two emitters, 2CzPN has a wider energy gap between S1 and T1 so that delayed fluorescence at room temperature is thought to be mixed with phosphorescence. Because of this mixing, the spectrum characteristic of phosphorescence from T2 in 2CzPN cannot be identified.

Triplet-triplet annihilation in a thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitter lightly doped in a host

Triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) will change the ratio between fluorescence and phosphorescence in the photoluminescence spectrum of a thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitter at very low temperature. Using the resultant spectral blueshift, this study investigated the nature of TTA in 1,2,3,5-tetrakis(carbazol-9-yl)-4,6-dicyanobenzene (4CzIPN) doped in a host material. The spectral blueshift is not caused by singlet-triplet annihilation and the emitter saturation effect and is less influenced by the emitter aggregates, particularly for the case of a lower doping concentration. Using these features, it is possible to focus on TTA. For 4CzIPN, the spectral blueshift due to TTA is recognized even in samples with the doping concentration as low as 1 wt. %.