Molecular orientation of disk-shaped small molecules exhibiting thermally activated delayed fluorescence in host–guest films.

Control of the molecular orientation in a glassy film is a crucial issue, not only for an understanding of the fundamental processes of organic amorphous film formation but also for enhancement of the performance of organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) by increasing their light-outcoupling efficiency. In this study, the molecular orientation in codeposited films composed of a host molecule and a disk-shaped emitter that exhibits thermally activated delayed fluorescence is investigated systematically. It is found that the orientation of the transition dipole moment (TDM) of the disk-shaped emitters is strongly dependent on the glass transition temperature and the polarization of the host molecules, and almost perfectly horizontal orientation of the TDM of the disk-shaped emitters can be realized. Our findings clarify the role of the host–guest dipole–dipole interaction in the molecular orientation, and it will enable the expansion of both the molecular design and the material combination rules for high-performance OLEDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]