Novel ultrabright luminescent copper nanoclusters and application in light-emitting devices.

Two newly synthesized ultra-small copper nanoclusters, [Cu3(μ3-H)(μ2-dppy)4](ClO4)2 (1) and [Cu4(μ4-H)(μ2-dppy)4(μ2-Cl)2](ClO4) (2) (dppy = diphenyl-2-pyridylphosphine), have been shown to exhibit ultrabright yellow and yellow-green room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) emission, with high quantum yields of 71.8% and 63.5%, respectively. Therefore, nanocluster 1 has been applied for the first time as a single component phosphor for yellow and white light-emitting diodes (LEDs) with favourable characteristics.