Abstract
Luminescent materials consisting of boron clusters, such as carboranes, have attracted immense interest in recent years. In this study, luminescent organic–inorganic conjugated systems based on o-carboranes directly bonded to electron-donating and electron-accepting π-conjugated units were elaborated as novel optoelectronic materials. These o-carborane derivatives simultaneously possessed aggregation-induced emission (AIE) and thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) capabilities, and showed strong yellow-to-red emissions with high photoluminescence quantum efficiencies of up to 97 % in their aggregated states or in solid neat films. Organic light-emitting diodes utilizing these o-carborane derivatives as a nondoped emission layer exhibited maximum external electroluminescence quantum efficiencies as high as 11 %, originating from TADF.
Two sides of the same coin: Organic–inorganic hybrid molecules consisting of an o-carborane tethered with electron donor and acceptor π-conjugated units exhibit efficient photoluminescence and electroluminescence based on aggregation-induced delayed fluorescence (AIDF).