Room-Temperature Observation for Reverse Intersystem Crossing in Exciplex-Based OLEDs with Balanced Charge Injection
Xi Zhao, Xiantong Tang, Hongqiang Zhu, Caihong Ma, Ying Wang, Shengnan Ye, Linyao Tu, Zuhong Xiong
Abstract
Room-temperature observation for reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) from triplet to singlet charge-transfer states (CT3 → CT1) and clarification of its physical mechanisms are the key requirements for designing highly efficient exciplex-based organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Herein, balanced and unbalanced exciplex-based OLEDs were fabricated by employing different hole-injection layers, and RISC of CT states was directly observed via analyzing magneto-conductance (MC) and magneto-electroluminescence (MEL) traces of the balanced device at room temperature. Specifically, current-dependent MC traces of the balanced device always present B-mediated RISC features, whereas those from the unbalanced one depict the superposition of B-mediated intersystem crossing (ISC) and the dissociation of CT3 by excessive charge carriers. Simultaneously, MEL curves of the balanced device display the conversion from ISC to RISC with lowering bias current, but those from the unbalanced one always show ISC under all of bias currents. Moreover, although all of current-dependent magneto-efficiency (Mη) traces exhibit ISC, Mη values are ∼2 times lower in the balanced device than the unbalanced one. These rich changes of magnetic-field responses demonstrate that balanced carrier injection can facilitate the occurrence of RISC by reducing the dissociation of CT3. Expectedly, the current efficiency of electroluminescence from the balanced device is increased by ∼2.2 times, which originates from the improvement of delayed luminescence because of the enhanced RISC. Accordingly, this work not only clarifies the prerequisite for observing RISC of CT states but also provides strategies for designing high-efficiency exciplex-based OLEDs.