Utilizing a Spiro TADF Moiety as a Functional Electron Donor in TADF Molecular Design toward Efficient “Multichannel” Reverse Intersystem Crossing

Designing thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials with an efficient reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) process is regarded as the key to actualize efficient organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) with low efficiency roll‐off. Herein, a novel molecular design strategy is reported where a typical TADF material 10‐phenyl‐10H, 10′H‐spiro[acridine‐9, 9′‐anthracen]‐10′‐one (ACRSA) is utilized as a functional electron donor to design TADF materials of 2,4,6‐triphenyl‐1,3,5‐triazine(TRZ)‐p‐ACRSA and TRZ‐m‐ACRSA. It is unique that the intramolecular charge transfer of the ACRSA moiety and the intramolecular and through‐space intermolecular charge transfer between the TRZ and ACRSA moieties, provide a “multichannel” effect to enhance the rate of the reverse intersystem crossing process (krisc) exceeding 10−6 s−1. TADF OLEDs based on TRZ‐p‐ACRSA as an emitter show a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 28% with reduced efficiency roll‐off (EQEs of 27.5% and 22.1% at 100 and 1000 cd m−2, respectively). Yellow phosphorescent OLEDs utilizing TRZ‐p‐ACRSA as a host material show record‐high EQE of 25.5% and power efficiency of 115 lm W−1, while phosphorescent OLEDs based on TRZ‐m‐ACRSA show further lower efficiency roll‐off with EQEs of 25.2%, 24.3%, and 21.5% at 100, 1000, and 10 000 cd m−2, respectively. Reverse intersystem crossing processes can be accelerated by the “multichannel” effect through introducing a spiro thermally activated delayed fluorescence material as a functional electron donor, giving highly efficient sky‐blue thermally activated delayed fluorescence organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs) and yellow phosphorescent OLEDs with a particularly low efficiency roll‐off.