Efficient multifunctional organic diode toward light-harvesting display

Simultaneous light emission, energy harvesting, and photodetection in a single organic diode are critical for multifunctional optoelectronic devices such as light-harvesting display but realization has been limited by severe non-radiative losses. Here, we report organic diodes using donor and acceptor molecules with multiple resonance–induced orbital localization, achieving both power conversion efficiency and electroluminescence efficiency larger than 1%. By suppressing non-radiative pathways, a device shows non-radiative recombination rates about 100,000 times slower than typical organic photovoltaics, thereby approaching the Shockley–Queisser limit of photovoltaics. Furthermore, the same device exhibits electroluminescence (EL) at 620 nm with a small turn-on at 1.7 V and a high luminance over 1000 cd/m2. These results establish principle enabling organic multifunctional devices to approach or exceed inorganic multifunctional devices, offering a route to compact, efficient, and versatile optoelectronics.