Highly efficient circularly polarized electroluminescence based on chiral manganese(ii) complexes

Abstract

Currently reported circularly polarized luminescent devices are primarily based on rare earth and noble metal complexes or lead perovskite materials. Reports on electroluminescent devices employing eco-friendly luminescent materials are notably scarce. In this study, we strategically designed and synthesized manganese complexes featuring Binapo as the chiral ligand. The complex structure reveals a tetrahedral coordination configuration, with the R/S configurations exhibiting a mirror relationship. Leveraging the strong ligand field and chiral structural characteristics of Binapo, the enantiomers display red emission and exhibit significant circularly polarized luminescence with a circularly polarized luminescence asymmetric factor (g_lum) of 5.1 × 10⁻³. The circularly polarized electroluminescent performance was investigated by using a solution processing method and host–guest doping strategy. Our efforts resulted in device performance with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) exceeding 4%, and its electroluminescent asymmetric factor (g_EL) reached an impressive −8.5 × 10⁻³. This surpasses the performance of most devices relying on platinum (Pt) and iridium (Ir) metal complexes and perovskite related materials. Our work establishes a pathway for the development of cost-effective and environmentally friendly chiral electroluminescent materials and devices.