Image Credit: Durham University
The majority of modern smartphones and TVs use organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), which rely on specific organic molecules to create light.
However, getting blue OLED emission that is both stable and effective has proven to be a challenging task for researchers.
The research team has now shown that blue OLED efficiency can be tripled by using molecules that were previously written off as poor light emitters.
Using a chemical known as ACRSA as a sensitizer in "hyperfluorescent" OLEDs—where energy is transmitted from the sensitizer to a separate terminal emitter molecule—it was discovered that device efficiency increased from 10% to over 28%.
An Illuminating Discovery
Even more astonishingly, blue emissions can be produced by transferring the energy of the greenish sensitizer ACRSA to a blue terminal emitter.
In comparison to straight blue emitters, this green-to-blue method lowers exciton energy, allowing for more stable, long-lasting blue OLEDs.
The team's approach offers a fresh guide for creating hyperfluorescent OLED screens that are both stable and incredibly effective.
This new knowledge creates interesting opportunities for basic studies as well as real-world applications.
Journal Reference
Stavrou, K., et.al. (2024). Key requirements for ultraefficient sensitization in hyperfluorescence organic light-emitting diodes. Nature Photonics. doi.org/10.1038/s41566-024-01395-1