Blue fluorescent emitters: design tactics and applications in organic light-emitting diodes

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are competitive candidates for the next generation flat-panel displays and solid state lighting sources. Efficient blue-emitting materials have been one of the most important prerequisites to kick off the commercialization of OLEDs. This tutorial review focuses on the design of blue fluorescent emitters and their applications in OLEDs. At first, some typical blue fluorescent materials as dopants are briefly introduced. Then nondoped blue emitters of hydrocarbon compounds are presented. Finally, the nondoped blue emitters endowed with hole-, electron- and bipolar-transporting abilities are comprehensively reviewed. The key issues on suppressing close-packing, achieving pure blue chromaticity, improving thermal and morphological stabilities, manipulating charge transporting abilities, simplifying device structures and the applications in panchromatic OLEDs are discussed.