Phosphorescence or Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence? Intersystem Crossing and Radiative Rate Constants of a Three-Coordinate Copper(I) Complex Determined by Quantum-Chemical Methods

The photophysical properties of a cationic three-coordinate copper­(I) complex with a monodentate N-heterocyclic carbene ligand and a bidentate phenanthroline ligand have been investigated by employing computational chemistry methods. The absorption spectrum, calculated with the combined density functional theory and multireference configuration interaction method, matches experimentally available data perfectly, thus corroborating the validity of our applied theoretical approach. On the basis of our calculated singlet–triplet gap of 650 cm–1 and the (reverse) intersystem crossing rates that are both larger than the fluorescence and phosphorescence rates at room temperature, we conclude that thermally activated delayed fluorescence should be observable for this complex in addition to phosphorescence. Torsion of the ligands has only a small impact on the singlet–triplet gap. However, the electronic coupling between the S1 and T1 statesand hence the probability for (reverse) intersystem crossingis seen to increase substantially when moving from a coplanar to a perpendicular arrangement of the ligands.