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Merging the functionality of an organic field-effect transistor (OFET) with either a light emission or a photoelectric effect can increase the efficiency of displays or photosensing devices. In this work, we show that an organic semiconductor enables a multifunctional OFET combining electroluminescence (EL) and a photoelectric effect. Specifically, our computational and experimental investigations of a six-ring thiophene-phenylene co-oligomer (TPCO) revealed that this material is promising for OFETs, light-emitting, and photoelectric devices because of the large oscillator strength of the lowest-energy singlet transition, efficient luminescence, pronounced delocalization of the excited state, and balanced charge transport. The fabricated OFETs showed a photoelectric response for wavelengths shorter than 530 nm and simultaneously EL in the transistor channel, with a maximum at ~570 nm. The devices demonstrated an EL external quantum efficiency (EQE) of ~1.4% and a photoelectric responsivity of ~0.7 A W–1, which are among the best values reported for state-of-the-art organic light-emitting transistors and phototransistors, respectively. We anticipate that our results will stimulate the design of efficient materials for multifunctional organic optoelectronic devices and expand the potential applications of organic (opto)electronics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Luminophores featuring thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) are the workhorses of the third- and fourth-generation OLEDs. While these compounds have usually been used as dopants embedded in the host, non-doped TADF OLEDs have recently shown significant progress as well and have attained performances comparable to those of the host-dopant systems. For efficient operation of non-doped OLEDs, the charge transport in neat films and single crystals of TADF luminophores is important; however, this issue was nearly unexplored theoretically. In the current study, we calculated the charge-carrier mobilities in four single crystals of TADF luminophores that have different molecular packing motifs. Specifically, in one of them both the donor and acceptor moieties form uniform π-stacks, while in the others the donors (acceptors) show alternating lateral shifts along the stacks; the difference in the molecular packing resulted in the difference in the transfer integrals between the molecules. The reorganization energies differed as well by up to four times for the studied crystals. As a result, the charge mobilities varied from 0.001 to ~0.3 cm2/(V∙s), with the largest being predicted for the crystal of the luminophore that consisted of a rigid donor and acceptor. We anticipate that the results obtained will be useful in the design of TADF luminophores for non-doped OLEDs, OLETs, and other organic light-emitting devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"Fluorescence-Activating and absorption-Shifting Tag" (FAST) is a well-studied fluorogen-activating protein with high brightness and low size, able to activate a wide range of fluorogens. This makes FAST a promising target for both protein and fluorogen optimization. Here, we describe the structure-based rational design of the enhanced FAST mutants, optimized for the N871b fluorogen. Using the spatial structure of the FAST/N871b complex, NMR relaxation analysis, and computer simulations, we identify the mobile regions in the complex and suggest mutations that could stabilize both the protein and the ligand. Two of our mutants appear brighter than the wild-type FAST, and these mutants provide up to 35% enhancement for several other fluorogens of similar structure, both in vitro and in vivo. Analysis of the mutants by NMR reveals that brighter mutants demonstrate the highest stability and lowest length of intermolecular H-bonds. Computer simulations provide the structural basis for such stabilization. Structural analyses guide the rational design of mutant fluorogen-activating proteins with enhanced fluorescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]