Fast and efficient room-temperature phosphorescence from metal-free organic molecular liquids

Abstract

Liquid is the most flexible state of condensed matter and shows promise as a functional soft material. However, these same characteristics make it challenging to achieve efficient room-temperature phosphorescence (RTP) from metal-free organic molecular liquids. Herein, we report efficient RTP from liquefied thienyl diketones bearing one or two dimethyloctylsilyl (DMOS) substituents. These solvent-free liquids exhibit high RTP quantum yields up to 5.6% in air and 25.6% under Ar due to their large RTP rate constant exceeding 5,000 s–1. Both liquids undergo excited-state conformational changes and afford monomer RTP, exhibiting essentially the same narrowband spectra as in solution. Moreover, introducing two DMOS substituents sufficiently suppresses aggregation-caused quenching of the molecularly emissive phosphors, illustrating a design principle for RTP-active liquid materials.