Metallo-Organic Tetrahedral Cages with Aggregation-Induced Emission for High-Efficiency White Light-Emitting Diodes

Abstract

In this research, we synthesized two metallo-organic tetrahedral cages, C1 and C2, that restrict intramolecular motion (RIM) through their highly rigid structures, thereby exhibiting significant aggregation-induced emission (AIE) properties. In solution, the absolute fluorescence quantum yields of C1 and C2, with yellow light emission (λem ≈ 600 and 550 nm, respectively), can reach 26.35% and 44.76%, respectively, through solvent-controlled aggregation. Simply adding 9,10-dimethylanthracene (DMA), which emits blue light, into C1 or C2 achieves white-light emission in solution. Further, by coating the cages onto blue LEDs, we successfully fabricated white LEDs with high luminous efficiency, extending the white-light emission to the solid state. This research contributes to the advancement of metallo-organic cages as efficient solid state luminescent materials and provides new insights and approaches for the development of high-performance luminescent materials.