Stretchable Light-Emitting Polymers and OLEDs Based on Thermally Activated Delayed Fluorescence (TADF)

The vast amount of biological mysteries and biomedical challenges faced by humans provide a prominent drive for seamlessly merging electronics with biological living systems (e.g. human bodies) to achieve long-term stable functions. Towards this trend, one of the key requirements for electronics is to possess biomimetic form factors in various aspects for achieving long-term biocompatibility. To enable such paradigm-shifting requirements, polymer-based electronics are uniquely promising for combining advanced electronic functionalities with biomimetic properties. Among all the functional materials, stretchable light-emitting materials are the key components for realizing skin-like displays and optical bio-stimulation. In this talk, I will mainly introduce our research in imparting stretchability onto “third-generation” electroluminescent polymers that can harness all the excitons through thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), thereby with a theoretical near-unity quantum yield and high OLED efficiency. Our developments of fully stretchable OLED devices show the promise of achieving all the desired EL and mechanical characteristics, including high efficiency, brightness, switching speed, stretchability, and low driving voltage.