High-efficiency and stable deep-blue iridium phosphorescent OLEDs with enhanced charge transfer dynamics

Siqi Li; Kai-Ning Tong; Meng Zhang; Wei He; Chengcheng Wu; Junki Ochi; Di Wu; Kefei Shi; Xin Wang; Singyeong Jung; Feiyu Kang; Chihaya Adachi; Takuji Hatakeyama; Guodan Wei

doi:10.1038/s41377-026-02264-y

Your Location：

Home >

Browse articles >

High-efficiency and stable deep-blue iridium phosphorescent OLEDs with enhanced charge transfer dynamics

Original Articles

- High-efficiency and stable deep-blue iridium phosphorescent OLEDs with enhanced charge transfer dynamics
- High-efficiency and stable deep-blue iridium phosphorescent OLEDs with enhanced charge transfer dynamics
- Light: Science & Applications 2026年15卷第8期页码：2858-2870
- Affiliations：
  
  1.Institute of Materials Research, Tsinghua Shenzhen International Graduate School, Tsinghua University, Shenzhen 518055, China
  2.Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
  3.Center for Organic Photonics and Electronic Research (OPERA), Kyushu University, Fukuoka 819-0395, Japan
- Author bio：
  
  Chengcheng Wu (wucc@tsinghua.edu.cn)
  Feiyu Kang (fykang@sz.tsinghua.edu.cn)
  Chihaya Adachi (adachi@cstf.kyushu-u.ac.jp)
  Takuji Hatakeyama (hatake@kuchem.kyoto-u.ac.jp)
  Guodan Wei (weiguodan@sz.tsinghua.edu.cn)
- Funds：
- DOI：10.1038/s41377-026-02264-y
  中图分类号：
- 收稿：2025-07-28，
  
  修回：2026-01-11，
  
  录用：2026-03-01，
  
  网络首发：2026-06-02，
  
  纸质出版：2026-08-31
- Accepted：
Scan QR Code
Siqi Li, Kai-Ning Tong, Meng Zhang, 等. High-efficiency and stable deep-blue iridium phosphorescent OLEDs with enhanced charge transfer dynamics[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2026,15(8):2858-2870.

Li, S. Q. et al. High-efficiency and stable deep-blue iridium phosphorescent OLEDs with enhanced charge transfer dynamics. Light: Science & Applications, 15, 2858-2870 (2026).
Siqi Li, Kai-Ning Tong, Meng Zhang, 等. High-efficiency and stable deep-blue iridium phosphorescent OLEDs with enhanced charge transfer dynamics[J]. Light: Science & Applications, 2026,15(8):2858-2870. DOI： 10.1038/s41377-026-02264-y.

Li, S. Q. et al. High-efficiency and stable deep-blue iridium phosphorescent OLEDs with enhanced charge transfer dynamics. Light: Science & Applications, 15, 2858-2870 (2026). DOI： 10.1038/s41377-026-02264-y.

摘要

Abstract

Deep-blue phosphorescent OLEDs (Ph-OLEDs) with high efficiency and stability are essential for advanced display technologies

ensuring sharp image quality and enhanced visibility. In this work

we report a novel class of asymmetric [3 + 2 +

]

coordinated iridium(Ⅲ) complexes incorporate strongly electron-withdrawing trifluoromethyl (–CF

) and fluorine (–F) modified N-heterocyclic carbene ligands. This strategic molecular design enables efficient deep-blue emission. Among these complexes

the CF

-substituted Ir(Ⅲ) complex (

-2

) exhibits pronounced charge-transfer (CT) characteristics and a significantly enhanced radiative decay rate (

$$ {k}_{r} $$

= 1.28 ×10

-1

)

enabling rapid and efficient phosphorescence at 443 nm. Devices employing

-2

demonstrated exceptional maximum external quantum efficiency (

EQE

max

) of up to 29.0%

with emission centered at 443 nm and Commission Internationale de L’Éclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.147

0.089)

fulfilling National Television System Committee (NTSC) blue standards for high-quality displays. Meanwhile

devices employing

-1

reached an

EQE

max

of 24.6% with a maximum luminance of 6542 cd m

−2

and CIE

of (0.152

0.126)

demonstrating high color purity and efficiency. A control device fabricated without sensitization using

-1

further confirms its intrinsic material stability by exhibiting a remarkable operational lifetime of LT

of 3875 h at L = 100 cd m

−2

with CIE

of (0.132

0.131). Furthermore

hyper-OLEDs were developed using these complexes as phosphorescent sensitizers. The hyper-OLED incorporating

-1

with the TADF emitter

-DABNA achieved an impressive device lifetime of LT

= 2127 h at 100 cd m

−2

. In parallel

the

-2

-sensitized hyper-OLED u

sing DOB2-DABNA-A achieved a deep-blue emission with CIE coordinates of (0.146

0.067) and a lifetime of LT

= 373 h under the same luminance

representing a significant advancement in the practical stability of deep-blue OLEDs. Notably

we demonstrate the successful integration of these deep-blue Ph-OLEDs with OLED-on-TFT microdisplay technology

achieving a pixel resolution of 94 PPI (270 × 270 μm) with programmable emission patterns. This innovative molecular coordination design strategy provides valuable insights into ligand engineering and exciton management

opening new pathways toward high-efficiency

long-lifetime deep-blue OLEDs for next-generation microdisplay and display technologies.

关键词

Keywords

references

Hong, G. et al. A brief history of OLEDs—emitter development and industry milestones. Adv. Mater. 33 , 2005630 (2021)..

Tao, P. et al. Asymmetric tris-heteroleptic cyclometalated phosphorescent iridium(Ⅲ) complexes: an emerging class of metallophosphors. Acc. Mater. Res. 3 , 830–842 (2022)..

Bin Mohd Yusoff, A. R., Huckaba, A. J. & Nazeeruddin, M. K. Phosphorescent neutral iridium (Ⅲ) complexes for organic light-emitting diodes. Top. Curr. Chem. 375 , 39 (2017)..

Li, T. Y. et al. Rational design of phosphorescent iridium(Ⅲ) complexes for emission color tunability and their applications in OLEDs. Coord. Chem. Rev. 374 , 55–92 (2018)..

Jang, H. J. et al. Progress in the development of the display performance of AR, VR, QLED and OLED devices in recent years. J. Inf. Disp. 23 , 1–17 (2022)..

Wu, C. C. et al. Design strategies of iridium(Ⅲ) c omplexes for highly efficient saturated blue phosphorescent OLEDs with improved lifetime. EnergyChem 6 , 100120 (2024)..

Im, Y. et al. Recent progress in high-efficiency blue-light-emitting materials for organic light-emitting diodes. Adv. Funct. Mater. 27 , 1603007 (2017)..

Lee, J. H. et al. Blue organic light-emitting diodes: current status, challenges, and future outlook. J. Mater. Chem. C. 7 , 5874–5888 (2019)..

Lee, S. & Han,W. S. Cyclometalated Ir(Ⅲ) complexes towards blue-emissive dopant for organic light-emitting diodes: fundamentals of photophysics and designing strategies. Inorg. Chem. Front. 7 , 2396–2422 (2020)..

Holmes, R. J. et al. Blue organic electrophosphorescence using exothermic host–guest energy transfer. Appl. Phys. Lett. 82 , 2422–2424 (2003)..

Maheshwaran, A. et al. High efficiency deep-blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes with CIE x , y (≤ 0.15) and low efficiency roll-off by employing a high triplet energy bipolar host material. Adv. Funct. Mater. 28 , 1802945 (2018)..

Yan, J. et al. Electroluminescence and hyperphosphorescence from stable blue Ir(Ⅲ) carbene complexes with suppressed efficiency roll-off. Nat. Commun. 14 , 6419 (2023)..

Mackenzie, C. F. R. et al. Bulky iridium NHC complexes for bright, efficient deep-blue OLEDs. Adv. Optical Mater. 11 , 2201495 (2023)..

Wu, Y. et al. Phosphorescent [3 + 2 + 1 ] coordinated Ir(Ⅲ) cyano complexes for achieving efficient phosphors and their application in OLED devices. Chem. Sci. 12 , 10165–10178 (2021)..

Wu, C. C., Tong, K. N. & Wei, G. D. 39.2: charge-transfer exciton manipulation based on hydrogen bond of iridium (Ⅲ) complexes for highly efficient blue OLED. SID Symp. Dig. Tech. Pap. 53 , 414–418 (2022)..

Wu, C. C. et al. Low efficiency roll-off blue phosphorescent OLEDs at high brightness based on [3+2+1 ] coordinated iridium (Ⅲ) complexes. Adv. Optical Mater. 10 , 2200356 (2022)..

Zhang, M. et al. Saturated-blue-emitting [3+2+1 ] coordinated iridium(Ⅲ) complexes for vacuum-deposited organic light-emitting devices. J. Mater. Chem. C. 10 , 14616–14625 (2022)..

Zhang, M. et al. Fine emission tuning from near-ultraviolet to saturated blue with rationally designed carbene-based [3 + 2 + 1 ] iridium(Ⅲ) complexes. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 14 , 1546–1556 (2022)..

Wu, C. C. et al. New [3+2+1 ] iridium complexes as effective phosphorescent sensitizers for efficient narrowband saturated–blue hyper–OLEDs. Adv. Sci. 10 , 2301112 (2023)..

Wu, C. C. et al. Blue iridium (Ⅲ) phosphorescent OLEDs with high brightness over 10 000 cd m −2 and ultralow efficiency roll-off. Adv. Optical Mater. 11 , 2201998 (2023)..

Shi, K. F. et al. Enhanced emitting dipole orientation based on asymmetric iridium(Ⅲ) complexes for efficient saturated-blue phosphorescent OLEDs. Adv. Sci. 11 , 2402349 (2024)..

Chi, Y. & Chou, P. T. Transition-metal phosphors with cyclometalating ligands: fundamentals and applications. Chem. Soc. Rev. 39 , 638–655 (2010)..

Hopkinson, M. N. et al. An overview of N-heterocyclic carbenes. Nature 510 , 485–496 (2014)..

Bellotti, P. et al. Recent advances in the chemistry and applications of N-heterocyclic carbenes. Nat. Rev. Chem. 5 , 711–725 (2021)..

Smith, C. A. et al. N-Heterocyclic carbenes in materials chemistry. Chem. Rev. 119 , 4986–5056 (2019)..

Sajoto, T. et al. Blue and near-UV phosphorescence from iridium complexes with cyclometalated pyrazolyl or N -heterocyclic carbene ligands. Inorg. Chem. 44 , 7992–8003 (2005)..

Lee, J. et al. Deep blue phosphorescentorganic light-emitting diodes with very high brightness and efficiency. Nat. Mater. 15 , 92–98 (2016)..

Bettington, S. et al. Bridged diiridium complexes for electrophosphorescent OLEDs: synthesis, X-ray crystal structures, photophysics, and devices. J. Mater. Chem. 16 , 1046–1052 (2006)..

Roberts, J. D., Webb, R. L. & McElhill, E. A. The electrical effect of the trifluoromethyl group. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 72 , 408–411 (1950)..

Jurow, M. J. et al. Understanding and predicting the orientation of heteroleptic phosphors in organi c light-emitting materials. Nat. Mater. 15 , 85–91 (2016)..

Cui, L. S. et al. Design and synthesis of pyrimidine-based iridium(Ⅲ) complexes with horizontal orientation for orange and white phosphorescent OLEDs. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 7 , 11007–11014 (2015)..

Park, H. Y. et al. External quantum efficiency exceeding 24% with CIE y value of 0.08 using a novel carbene-based iridium complex in deep-blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes. Adv. Mater. 32 , 2002120 (2020)..

Zhang, H. et al. A multifunctional blue-emitting material designed via tuning distribution of hybridized excited-state for high-performance blue and host-sensitized OLEDs. Adv. Funct. Mater. 30 , 2002323 (2020)..

Kondo, Y. et al. Narrowband deep-blue organic light-emitting diode featuring an organoboron-based emitter. Nat. Photonics 13 , 678–682 (2019)..

Ochi, J. et al. Highly efficient multi-resonance thermally activated delayed fluorescence material toward a BT.2020 deep-blue emitter. Nat. Commun. 15 , 2361 (2024)..

Sun, J. et al. Exceptionally stable blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes. Nat. Photonics 16 , 212–218 (2022)..

Hao, J. P. et al. Late-stage direct double borylation of B/N-based multi-resonance framework enables high-performance ultra-narrowband deep-blue organic light-emitting diodes. Nat. Commun. 16 , 8867 (2025)..

浏览量

Downloads

CSCD

文章被引用时，请邮件提醒。

Submit

工具集

关联资源

Universal and transferable attacks on pathology foundation models using microscopic perturbations

Local-nonlocal assisted multifunctional photonic crystals

Gigahertz-rate thin-film lithium niobate receiver for time-bin quantum communication

Surpassing kilometer-scale terahertz wireless communication beyond 300 GHz enabled by hybrid photonic–electronic synergy

Reversible optical data storage and encryption enabled by phase-change and hydrogel integration