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  • Using ultra-fast spectroscopy to probe the excited state dynamics of a reported highly efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence chromophore
Title: Using ultra-fast spectroscopy to probe the excited state dynamics of a reported highly efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence chromophore
Multiple ultrafast spectroscopic techniques and quantum chemical simulations (QCS) were used to investigate the excited state dynamics of BCC-TPTA. This organic chromophore is believed to possess excited state dynamics governed by a thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) mechanism with a reported internal quantum efficiency ( η IQE ) of 84%. In addition, a significant enhancement in its quantum yield ( Φ ) in solution after purging oxygen has been reported. This Φ enhancement has been widely accepted as due to a delayed fluorescence process occurring on the μs time-scale. The spectroscopic measurements were carried out both in solution and blended films, and from fs to μs time-scales. The excited state dynamics of Rhodamine B and Ir(BT) 2 (acac) were also probed for comparison. Investigations in the absence of oxygen were also carried out. Our time-correlated single photon counting (TCSPC) measurements revealed a lack of a long-lived emissive lifetime for BCC-TPTA in any of the media tested. Our ns transient absorption spectroscopy (ns TAS) experiments revealed that BCC-TPTA does not possess triplet transient states that could be linked to a delayed fluorescence process. Instead, the evidence obtained from our spectroscopic tools suggests that BCC-TPTA has the excited state dynamics of a typical fluorescence chromophore and that just comparing the Φ difference before and after purging oxygen from the solution is not an accurate method to claim excited state dynamics governed by a delayed fluorescence mechanism. Consequently, we believe that previous studies, in which the photo-physics of organic chromophores with TADF characteristics are reported, may have overlooked the influence of the host materials on the obtained optical properties in blended films.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
1709005
PAR ID:
10097462
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ;
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Journal of Materials Chemistry C
Volume:
7
Issue:
14
ISSN:
2050-7526
Page Range / eLocation ID:
4210 to 4221
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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