A Simple Design for Strongly Emissive Sky-Blue Phosphorescent Neutral Rhenium Complexes: Synthesis, Photophysics, and Electroluminescent Devices

Abstract

A simple design strategy for a new class of stable, vacuum-sublimable, and strongly emissive sky-blue neutral phosphorescent Re(I) phenanthroline complexes {Re(R2phen)(CO)3[CNB(C6F5)3]} is reported. These complexes show intense bluish green emission in CH2Cl2 solution with the highest emission quantum yield and bluest emission ever reported for the neutral Re(I) diimine complexes. In the solid state, they display sky-blue emission. The electroluminescent properties of devices containing these complexes have also been investigated.