Efficient and stable single-layer organic light-emitting diodes based on thermally activated delayed fluorescence

From a design, optimization and fabrication perspective, an organic light-emitting diode consisting of only one single layer of a neat semiconductor would be highly attractive. Here, we demonstrate an efficient and stable organic light-emitting diode based on a single layer of a neat thermally activated delayed fluorescence emitter. By employing ohmic electron and hole contacts, charge injection is efficient and the absence of heterojunctions results in an exceptionally low operating voltage of 2.9 V at a luminance of 10,000 cd m−2. Balanced electron and hole transport results in a maximum external quantum efficiency of 19% at 500 cd m−2 and a broadened emission zone, which greatly improves the operational stability, allowing a lifetime to 50% of the initial luminance of 1,880 h for an initial luminance of 1,000 cd m−2. As a result, this single-layer concept combines high power efficiency with long lifetime in a simplified architecture, rivalling and even exceeding the performance of complex multilayer devices. Long-lived, efficient organic light-emitting diodes based on a simple design of a single layer of an active light-emitting medium sandwiched between two contacts and no additional charge injection and transport layers are reported.