Highly Robust Cu^I‐TADF Emitters for Vacuum‐Deposited OLEDs with Luminance up to 222 200 cd m⁻² and Device Lifetimes (LT₉₀) up to 1300 hours at an Initial Luminance of 1000 cd m⁻²

Abstract

A critical step in advancing the practical application of copper-based organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is to bridge the large gap between device efficiency and operational stability at practical luminance. Described is a panel of air- and thermally stable two-coordinate Cu^I emitters featuring bulky pyrazine- (PzIPr) or pyridine-fused N-heterocyclic carbene (PyIPr*) and carbazole (Cz) ligands with enhanced amide-Cu-carbene bonding interactions. These Cu^I emitters display thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) from the ¹ LL'CT(Cz→PzIPr/PyIPr*) excited states across the blue to red regions with exceptional radiative rate constants of 1.1-2.2×10⁶ s^-1 . Vapour-deposited OLEDs based on these Cu^I emitters showed excellent external quantum efficiencies and luminance up to 23.6 % and 222 200 cd m^-2 , respectively, alongside record device lifetimes (LT₉₀ ) up to 1300 h at 1000 cd m^-2 under our laboratory conditions, highlighting the practicality of the Cu^I -TADF emitters.