Short-Axis Substitution Approach Selectively Optimizes Electrical Properties of Dibenzothiophene-Based Phosphine Oxide Hosts

Two dibenzothiophene (DBT)-based phosphine oxide hosts, named 4-diphenylphosphoryl dibenzothiophene (DBTSPO) and 4,6-bis(diphenylphosphoryl) dibenzothiophene (DBTDPO), were prepared by short-axis substitution with the aim to selectively adjust electrical properties. The combined effects of short-axis substitution and the involvement of electron-donating S atom in conjugation effectively suppress the influence of electron-withdrawing diphenylphosphine oxide (DPPO) moieties on the frontier molecular orbitals and the optical properties. Therefore, DBTSPO and DBTDPO have the nearly same hole injection ability and the excited energy levels, while more electron-transporting DPPOs and the symmetrical configuration endow DBTDPO with enhanced electron-injecting/transporting ability. As the result, on the basis of this short-axis substitution effect, the selective adjustment of electrical properties was successfully realized. With the high first triplet energy level (T1) of 2.90 eV, the suitable energy levels of the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of −6.05 and −2.50 eV and the improved carrier-transporting ability, DBTDPO supported its blue- and white-emitting phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes as the best low-voltage-driving devices reported so far with the lowest driving voltages of 2.4 V for onset and 30 lm W–1 and excellent efficiency stability.