The Center for Organic Photonics and Electronics Research at Kyushu University (OPERA) recently achieved the creation of materials exhibiting highly efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). The new materials, based on relatively simple aromatic organic compounds, can efficiently convert triplet excitons into singlet excitons and are quickly finding application in photonic devices such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). From a fundamental photochemistry
and photophysics point of view, deeper understanding of this unique mechanism for highly efficient intersystem crossing without the need for rare metals is strongly desired.
Through this research program, cooperative research with Prof. IDW Samuel, who has expertise including ultrafast spectroscopy, Prof GA Turnbull, who has expertise in organic lasers and chemical sensors, Prof MC Gather, whose expertise includes molecular orientation, light outcoupling efficiency and use of OLEDs for biophotonics, and Dr. E Zysman-Colman, who has expertise in the synthesis of luminophores for solid-state lighting (including TADF emitters), of the University of St. Andrews (with support from EPSRC) and Prof. H Yersin of the University of Regensburg, who has expertise in organometallic TADF emitters (with support from BMBF) will be undertaken. The groups of Dr. Fabrice Mathevet (UPMC, France) with support from the CNRS and Prof. Ebinazar Namdas (University of Queensland, Australia) with support from the Australian Research Council will also be integrated into the international consortium investigating TADF emitters. This cooperative research program will focus on basic research of molecular design based on quantum chemical calculations and ultrafast photophysics analysis while also tackling device development and analysis. Through the cooperation of physicists and chemists from Japan, the UK and Germany, knowledge of optical and device properties will feed back into molecular design, and through rapid cycles of this process, new organic-semiconductor devices will be created while also developing the human resources to drive the next generation of organic optoelectronics. To promote collaboration and deepen research discussion, monthly research meetings will be held via video conferences along with semi-annual visits by researchers to participating organizations. (2) Each year, a research workshop will be held, with the three participating countries rotating as host each year, and around 10 researchers from each country will gather for a lively research discussion. (3) Moreover, the exchange of people and ideas will proceed through the sending of researchers (graduate students, post-docs, and/or assistant professors) to the participating organizations for periods of 3 to 6 months.
Furthermore, OPERA, through its connections with Fukuoka prefecture and city and its proximity to Kyushu University campus, has planned collaborations with i3-OPERA (a center for the development of organic optoelectronics for practical applications) and ISIT (The Institute of Systems, Information Technologies and Nanotechnologies) and is advancing research ranging from basic to applied with an organic optoelectronics development team formed through industrygovernment-
academia collaborations. This program will at the same time help to establish these organizations internationally, with Kyushu University at the center. In addition to the mentioned cooperative research, with regards to realizing devices, investigations into solution processing, which is highly desired, and the control of the orientation of TADF molecules will be performed. Moreover, the use of TADF for light amplification and in brand new applications will be explored, and the future possibility for electrically-pumped organic-semiconductor lasers and TADF-based photocatalysts unlocked.
|