Light Amplification And Efficient Electroluminescence From A Solution-Processable Diketopyrrolopyrrole Derivative Via Triplet-To-Singlet Upconversion

Over the years, achieving efficient electroluminescence (EL) while simultaneously having low light amplification thresholds under optical excitation has been the key to progression toward the long-thought objective of electrically pumped organic lasers. While significant progress in this regard has been made for organic semiconductors emitting in the blue-green region of the visible spectrum, organic laser dyes with low-energy emission (>600 nm) still suffer from high amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) thresholds and low external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) in devices. Herein, low ASE thresholds and efficient EL are reported from a solution-processable organic laser dye dithiophenyl diketopyrrolopyrrole (DT-DPP). The ASE threshold of 4 mu J cm(-2) at the wavelength of 620 nm is obtained while making constructive use of triplet excitons by doping DT-DPP in a green-emitting host matrix, which exhibits thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF). The organic light-emitting diode fabricated from this system gives a high EQE of 7.9% due to the efficient utilization of triplet excitons. Transient EL studies further show that a high reverse intersystem crossing rate is crucial in achieving lasing under electrical pumping from such TADF-assisted fluorescent systems.