Highly
efficient deep-red organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) are indispensable
for developing high-performance red-green-blue (RGB) displays and
white OLEDs (WOLEDs). However, the shortage of deep-red emitters with
high photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) and balanced charge
injection/transport abilities has severely restricted the performance
of deep-red OLEDs. Herein, we design and synthesize four efficient
emitters by combining the isoquinoline group with the thianthrene
5,5,10,10-tetraoxide group. Benefited from the introduction of the
thianthrene 5,5,10,10-tetraoxide group, these Ir(III) complexes show
improved electron-injection/-transport abilities. By enhancing the
contribution of the triplet metal-to-ligand charge transfer (3MLCT) in emissions, the asymmetric configuration endows the
related deep-red Ir(III) complexes with high PLQYs of 0.45–0.50
in solutions. More importantly, PLQYs of these Ir(III) complexes in
doped host films increase up to 0.91, which is much higher than PLQYs
reported for conventional deep-red Ir(III) complexes with impressive
electroluminescent performance. As a result, solution-processed OLEDs
based on these Ir(III) complexes exhibit deep-red emissions with Commission
Internationale de L’Eclairage (CIE x, y) coordinates very close to the National Television System
Committee (NTSC)-recommended standard red CIE coordinates of (0.67,
0.33). Furthermore, a deep-red OLED using the asymmetric Ir(III) complex SOIrOPh as the emitter shows outstanding performance with
a peak external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 25.8%, which is the highest
EQE reported for solution-processed deep-red OLEDs. This work sheds
light on the great potential of utilizing the thianthrene 5,5,10,10-tetraoxide
group to develop phosphorescent emitters for highly efficient OLEDs.