Multiple Enol–Keto Isomerization and Excited-State Unidirectional Intramolecular Proton Transfer Generate Intense, Narrowband Red OLEDs

A novel series of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) emitters, namely, DPNA, DPNA-F, and DPNA- t Bu, endowed with dual intramolecular hydrogen bonds, were designed and synthesized. In the condensed phase, DPNAs exhibit unmatched absorption and emission spectral features, where the minor 0–0 absorption peak becomes a major one in the emission. Detailed spectroscopic and dynamic approaches conclude fast ground-state equilibrium among enol–enol (EE), enol–keto (EK), and keto–keto (KK) isomers. The equilibrium ratio can be fine-tuned by varying the substitutions in DPNAs. Independent of isomers and excitation wavelength, ultrafast ESIPT takes place for all DPNAs, giving solely KK tautomer emission maximized at >650 nm. The spectral temporal evolution of ESIPT was resolved by a state-of-the-art technique, namely, the transient grating photoluminescence (TGPL), where the rate of EK* → KK* is measured to be (157 fs)−1 for DPNA- t Bu, while a stepwise process is resolved for EE* → EK* → KK*, with a rate of EE* → EK* of (72 fs)−1. For all DPNAs, the KK tautomer emission shows a narrowband emission with high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQY, ∼62% for DPNA in toluene) in the red, offering advantages to fabricate deep-red organic light-emitting diodes (OLED). The resulting OLEDs give high external quantum efficiency with a spectral full width at half-maximum (FWHM) as narrow as ∼40 nm centered at 666–670 nm for DPNAs, fully satisfying the BT. 2020 standard. The unique ESIPT properties and highly intense tautomer emission with a small fwhm thus establish a benchmark for reaching red narrowband organic electroluminescence.