Thermally activated delayed fluorescence materials for organic light emitting diodes.

Recently, remarkable advances in thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) materials have attracted dramatic attention due to 100% exciton utilization efficiency in organic light emitting diode (OLED). Although the commercialization of TADF materials is at an early stage, they exhibit enormous potential for next generation OLED for the comparable electroluminescence (EL) performance to metal phosphorescent complexes counterparts but without the presence of precious metal elements. This review summarizes the different types of TADF small molecules with various photophysical properties and the state-of-the-art molecular design strategies. Furthermore, the device engineering and emerging optoelectronic applications, such as organic light-emitting electrochemical cells, organic lasing, and organic scintillators are introduced. It is anticipated that the review can clarify the design of efficient TADF emitters and point out the direction of future development.