Regulation of aggregation-enhanced thermally activated delayed fluorescence in butterfly-shaped donor–acceptor conjugates

Abstract

We studied how ether-linked benzophenone and dibenzofuran/dibenzothiophene-functionalized benzophenone as auxiliary groups in carbazole–phthalonitrile conjugates influence aggregation-enhanced thermally activated delayed fluorescence (AE-TADF). CDBFPN and CDBTPN exhibited AE-TADF due to their unique butterfly-shaped geometries. In contrast, CBPN faces aggregation-caused quenching, underscoring the critical role of these functionalized groups in boosting the blue TADF properties.