Efficient Triplet Application in Exciplex Delayed-Fluorescence OLEDs Using a Reverse Intersystem Crossing Mechanism Based on a Δ<i>E</i>_S–T of around Zero

We demonstrate highly efficient exciplex delayed-fluorescence organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) in which 4,4′,4″-tris­[3-methylphenyl­(phenyl)­aminotriphenylamine (m-MTDATA) and 4,7-diphenyl-1,10-phenanthroline (Bphen) were selected as donor and acceptor components, respectively. Our m-MTDATA:Bphen exciplex electroluminescence (EL) mechanism is based on reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) from the triplet to singlet excited states. As a result, an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 7.79% at 10 mA/cm² was observed, which increases by 3.2 and 1.5 times over that reported in <i>Nat. Photonics</i> <b>2012</b>, <i>6</i>, 253 and <i>Appl. Phys. Lett.</i> <b>2012</b>, <i>101</i>, 023306, respectively. The high EQE would be attributed to a very easy RISC process because the energy difference between the singlet and triplet excited states is almost around zero. The verdict was proven by photoluminescence (PL) rate analysis at different temperatures and time-resolved spectral analysis. Besides, the study of the transient PL process indicates that the presence of an unbalanced charge in exciplex EL devices is responsible for the low EQE and high-efficiency roll-off. When the exciplex devices were placed in a 100 mT magnetic field, the permanently positive magnetoelectroluminescence and magnetoconductivity were observed. The magnetic properties confirm that the efficient exciplex EL only originates from delayed fluorescence via RISC processes but is not related to the triplet–triplet annihilation process