Synthesis of Fluorescent C2‑Bridged Teraryls and Quateraryls for Blue, Sky-Blue, and Green Color Light-Emitting Devices

A series of fluorescent teraryls and quateraryls were prepared from a ketene-S,S-acetal under mild conditions. These compounds exhibited blue, sky-blue and green color emissions both in the solid state and in a solution with good quantum yields, positive solvatochromic behavior, and reversible oxidation and reduction properties. The electronic characteristics of teraryl 6a and quateraryls 9a,b were examined by time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) calculations. Light-emitting devices were fabricated from teraryl 6a and quateraryls 9a,b as dyes and the configuration of ITO/PEDOT:PSS (40 nm)/NPB (20 nm)/ dye (50 nm)/BCP (7 nm)/ LiF (0.7 nm)/Al (200 nm), which exhibited electroluminescence maxima of 455, 480, and 525 nm, respectively. These devices operated at a substantially low turn-on voltage (3 and 4 V) and exhibited maximum luminance efficiencies of 0.62, 0.57, and 1.9 cd/A and brightnesses of 59, 160, and 1284 cd/m2, respectively.