Intramolecular Noncovalent Interactions Facilitate Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence (TADF)

In the conventional molecular design of thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) organic emitters, simultaneously achieving a fast rate of reverse intersystem crossing (RISC) from the triplet to the singlet manifold and a fast rate of radiative decay is a challenging task. A number of recent experimental data, however, point to TADF emitters with intramolecular π-π interactions as a potential pathway to overcome the issue. Here, we report a comprehensive investigation of TADF emitters with intramolecular π···π or lone-pair···π noncovalent interactions. We uncover the impact of those intramolecular noncovalent interactions on the TADF properties. In particular, we find that folded geometries in TADF molecules can trigger lone-pair···π interactions, introduce a n → π* character of the relevant transitions, enhance the singlet-triplet spin-orbit coupling, and ultimately greatly facilitate the RISC process. This work provides a robust foundation for the molecular design of a novel class of highly efficient TADF emitters in which intramolecular noncovalent interactions play a critical function.