We demonstrate novel molecular design for thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) polymers based on a nonconjugated polyethylene backbone with through-space charge transfer effect between pendant electron donor (D) and acceptor (A) units. Different from conventional conjugated D-A polymers with through-bond charge transfer effect, the nonconjugated architecture avoids direct conjugation between D and A units, enabling blue emission. Meanwhile, spatial π-π interaction between the physically separated D and A units results in both small singlet-triplet energy splitting (0.019 eV) and high photoluminescence quantum yield (up to 60% in film state). The resulting polymer with 5 mol % acceptor unit gives efficient blue electroluminescence with Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage coordinates of (0.176, 0.269), together with a high external quantum efficiency of 12.1% and low efficiency roll-off of 4.9% (at 1000 cd m), which represents the first example of blue TADF nonconjugated polymer.
Through‐space charge transfer polymers (TSCT polymers) that contain a non‐conjugated polystyrene backbone and spatially separated donor and acceptor units for solution‐processed OLEDs with full‐color and white emission is reported. By tuning the charge transfer strength between donor and acceptors with different electron‐accepting ability, emission color spanning from deep blue to red can be achieved. By incorporating two kinds of donor/acceptor pairs in one polymer to create duplex through‐space charge‐transfer channels, blue and yellow emission can be simultaneously obtained to realize white electroluminescence from a single polymer. The TSCT polymers exhibit thermally activated delayed fluorescence effect with delayed‐component lifetimes in range of 0.36–1.98 μs, and unexpected aggregation‐induced emission (emission intensity enhancement of up to 117 from solution to aggregation state).
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