Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• • CF3PMI-BFCF3 achieves a PLQY of 90% and a TADF lifetime of 1.16 μs in doped films, enabling high-efficiency green emission with reduced non-radiative decay, critical for low-power OLED displays. • • Vacuum-deposited OLED based on CF3PMI-BFCF3 reaches an EQE of 22.7% at 514 nm, demonstrating that earth-abundant Cu(I) complexes can rival precious-metal phosphors in green electroluminescence. • • Hyperfluorescent OLED using CF3PMI-BFCF3 as sensitizer yields an EQE of 21.8% at 537 nm with a narrow FWHM of 30 nm, satisfying the color purity requirements for Rec. 2020 displays. • • One-pot synthesis affords target complexes in good yields, reducing production complexity and cost, which is essential for scalable manufacturing of Cu(I)-based emitters.
Abstract
Copper(I)-based carbene-metal-amide (CMA) emitters offer an earth-abundant alternative to precious-metal phosphors for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), yet efficient green emission remains scarce due to limited π-extension and unbalanced charge-transfer characteristics of N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands. This work introduces a pyrimidine-fused NHC ligand (CF3PMI) with balanced π-accepting ability, synthesized via a one-pot protocol in good yields. The resulting Cu(I)-CMA complex CF3PMI-BFCF3 exhibits green thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) in doped thin films, with a photoluminescence quantum yield (PLQY) of 90% and a short emission lifetime of 1.16 μs. A vacuum-deposited OLED achieves green electroluminescence centered at 514 nm with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 22.7%. Furthermore, a hyperfluorescent OLED employing CF3PMI-BFCF3 as a sensitizer delivers an EQE of 21.8%, green emission at 537 nm, and a narrow full width at half maximum (FWHM) of 30 nm. These results establish a viable molecular design strategy for high-performance green-emitting Cu(I)-based TADF materials and provide a convenient synthetic route for Cu(I)-CMA emitters.
1. Introduction
Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) have revolutionized display and lighting technologies, yet their reliance on precious-metal phosphors such as Ir(III) and Pt(II) imposes significant cost and sustainability constraints. These metals suffer from limited earth abundance and high extraction costs, creating a bottleneck for widespread adoption. Cu(I) complexes, with their d10 configuration, suppress non-radiative metal-centered states and enable triplet harvesting via TADF, offering a promising alternative. However, conventional Cu(I) TADF emitters often exhibit excited-state structural distortion, leading to non-radiative decay and compromised efficiency, particularly in the green spectral region where high-performance examples remain scarce.
This study addresses the green emission gap by designing a pyrimidine-fused NHC ligand (CF3PMI) that balances π-accepting ability, thereby stabilizing charge-transfer states and reducing structural relaxation. The one-pot synthesis yields Cu(I)-CMA complexes in good yields, and the optimized complex CF3PMI-BFCF3 delivers a PLQY of 90% and a short TADF lifetime of 1.16 μs. The resulting OLED achieves an EQE of 22.7% at 514 nm, while a hyperfluorescent device reaches 21.8% EQE with a narrow FWHM of 30 nm, demonstrating a viable pathway for efficient, color-pure green OLEDs based on earth-abundant copper.
Loading authentic research manuscript (Pages 1–5)...
Yihan Wang, Ao Ying, Jiaping Liu, Shaolong Gong (2026). Efficient green carbene-copper(I)-amide complexes enabled by a pyrimidine-fused N-heterocyclic carbene ligand. SCIENCE CHINA Materials. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-026-4416-8
Research & Educational Purpose Only: The translations, structured abstracts, analytical annotations, and data reports provided by SinoGreenTechare intended exclusively for academic research, internal corporate R&D, and educational benchmarking. They do not constitute formal engineering, chemical safety, legal, or professional advice.
Copyright & Intellectual Property Notice: Original copyright of the underlying source articles and experimental data remains with the respective authors, institutions, and original publishing journals. SinoGreenTech claims intellectual property only over its proprietary translations, analytical syntheses, and AEO structured enhancements in accordance with international fair use and academic citation principles.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the operational lifetime of the CF3PMI-BFCF3-based OLED under continuous operation?
The provided text does not report operational lifetime data. However, the short TADF lifetime of 1.16 μs and high PLQY of 90% suggest reduced triplet accumulation, which typically correlates with improved stability. For industrial adoption, accelerated aging tests at elevated temperatures and constant current are required to quantify degradation rates.
How does the synthetic yield of the one-pot method compare to traditional multi-step routes for Cu(I)-CMA complexes?
The text states 'good yields' but does not specify exact percentages. Traditional multi-step syntheses often suffer from cumulative yields below 30%. The one-pot protocol likely improves overall yield and reduces purification steps, but exact figures are needed to assess cost parity.
What is the roll-off behavior of the hyperfluorescent OLED at high brightness?
The text does not provide roll-off data. The EQE of 21.8% at 537 nm with a narrow FWHM of 30 nm indicates efficient sensitization, but without luminance-dependent EQE measurements, it is unclear whether triplet-triplet annihilation or polaron quenching limits performance at high current densities.
Can the CF3PMI ligand be adapted for solution-processed OLEDs to reduce manufacturing costs?
The current work focuses on vacuum-deposited devices. The ligand's solubility and film-forming ability are not discussed. Solution processing would require additional optimization of side chains or host matrices, but the one-pot synthesis may facilitate scalable production if solubility challenges are addressed.
What is the color purity of the green emission in relation to the Rec. 2020 standard?
The hyperfluorescent OLED exhibits a FWHM of 30 nm at 537 nm, which is narrower than typical TADF emitters (often >50 nm). This suggests improved color purity, but exact CIE coordinates are not provided. Meeting Rec. 2020 green primary (CIE x≈0.170, y≈0.797) would require further spectral narrowing.
Related Chinese Research & Cross-Citations
Ammonium Vanadate Cathodes in Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries: Design Strategies and Research Progress
Aqueous zinc-ion batteries (AZIBs) offer a compelling combination of high safety, environmental compatibility, and abundant zinc resources, positioning them as viable candidates for grid-scale energy storage. Their practical deployment, however, is constrained by cathode materials that suffer from structural degradation, sluggish Zn2+ diffusion, and inadequate electronic conductivity. Ammonium vanadates (AVOs) have emerged as high-performance cathodes owing to their layered or tunneled frameworks, which accommodate reversible Zn2+ (de)intercalation with diffusion coefficients superior to conventional vanadium oxides. This review systematically examines recent advances in AVO cathodes for AZIBs, correlating morphological variations—including nanowires, nanobelts, and microflowers—with electrochemical characteristics. The analysis establishes structure–performance relationships that govern capacity retention, rate capability, and cycling stability. Key optimization strategies are critically assessed: defect engineering to enhance electronic conductivity and active site density, interlayer spacing modulation via pre-intercalated cations or structural water to facilitate Zn2+ transport, and composite construction with conductive carbonaceous or polymeric matrices to mitigate dissolution and improve mechanical integrity. Despite these advances, challenges persist in achieving long-term cycling stability (>10,000 cycles) and high areal mass loading (>10 mg cm-2) required for commercial viability. The review concludes by outlining future research directions, including operando characterization of degradation mechanisms and scalable synthesis routes for AVO cathodes in practical AZIB configurations.
Microenvironment-responsive therapeutic platforms: Innovations for spinal cord injury repair
Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a formidable clinical challenge due to the complex, dynamic lesion microenvironment that impedes axonal regeneration and functional recovery. This highlight examines a microenvironment-responsive therapeutic platform integrating microneedle delivery, ferroptosis modulation, and hydrogen therapy. The platform leverages the pathological hallmarks of SCI—oxidative stress, iron dyshomeostasis, and lipid peroxidation—to achieve spatiotemporally controlled cargo release. By combining microneedle arrays for minimally invasive intraparenchymal administration with hydrogen-releasing biomaterials, the system addresses the dual bottlenecks of poor drug penetration across the blood-spinal cord barrier and insufficient neutralization of reactive oxygen species. Ferroptosis inhibition is achieved through iron chelation and glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) stabilization, while hydrogen gas scavenges hydroxyl radicals and peroxynitrite. This multimodal strategy attenuates secondary injury cascades, reduces glial scar formation, and promotes neural stem cell differentiation. The work is supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82574518) and the Talent Cultivation Project of Paring Academicians with Young Talents in higher education institutions in Zhejiang. The authors declare no conflict of interest. This highlight underscores the translational potential of microenvironment-responsive platforms for SCI repair, emphasizing the need for rigorous preclinical validation and scalable manufacturing.
Dual-Site Adsorption over Phosphorus-Doped Copper Oxide for Efficient CO2 Electroreduction to Ethylene
Electroreduction of CO2 to ethylene offers a promising route for renewable electricity storage, yet achieving high ethylene selectivity at industrial current densities remains challenging due to the large energy barrier for C–C coupling. Here, we report a “MOF-assisted in situ doping” strategy to introduce the oxophilic nonmetal phosphorus (P) into the copper oxide (CuO) lattice, constructing a localized Cu–P dual-site adsorption configuration for the key *OCCHO intermediate. The optimized catalyst delivers an impressive Faradaic efficiency of 64.6% for ethylene with a partial current density of 646 mA cm-2. Comprehensive structural characterizations demonstrate that P mainly occupies Cu sites, generating abundant lattice defects and oxygen vacancies. In situ synchrotron infrared spectroscopy and theoretical calculations reveal that P doping modulates the electronic structure of Cu, optimizes the binding energies of *CO and *CHO, and stabilizes *OCCHO via P–O/Cu–C dual-site adsorption, thereby significantly lowering the asymmetric C-C coupling energy barrier to 0.74 eV. This work highlights a dual-site microenvironment regulation strategy for CO2-to-ethylene electroreduction.
Hydrophilic Single-Atom Interface Unlocks Low-Potential CO Removal on Pt in PEMFCs
Proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) fed with reformate hydrogen suffer severe anode poisoning by trace CO, necessitating high CO electrooxidation potentials that degrade performance and durability. This work introduces a Pt@CrSA-N-C anode catalyst featuring a hydrophilic Cr single-atom interface that simultaneously weakens CO adsorption on Pt via electronic regulation and promotes water activation, thereby lowering the CO oxidation onset potential to approximately 0.13 V vs. RHE. The onset potential was determined by two independent methods: the first potential at which the background-corrected current exceeds 0 mA cm-2 during CO oxidation reaction tests in a three-electrode system, and the potential at which the forward scan current exceeds the N2 background current in CO-stripping voltammetry. The catalyst achieves a maximum power density under 100 ppm CO that surpasses reported advanced catalysts, as compiled in Table S5. Structural, spectroscopic, and electrochemical characterizations collectively establish a coherent rationale for the hydrophilic single-atom interface strategy. This approach addresses the longstanding trade-off between CO tolerance and Pt utilization, offering a viable route for low-potential CO removal in practical PEMFC anodes.
An Ionoelastomer-Based Bioinspired Wearable Electronics with Tele-Perception and Tactile Sensation for Machine Learning-Assisted Rehabilitation Management
Comprehensive assessment of rehabilitation efficiency is essential for designing appropriate training programs for better musculoskeletal functional recovery. Existing contact-receptor-dependent rehabilitation assessment systems mostly focus on assessing the restoration of muscle function by evaluating grip strength or joint flexion angle; however, parameters reflecting neuromuscular synergistic function are always overlooked. Herein, we develop an ionoelastomer-based soft artificial electroreceptor (SAER) that integrates tele-perception and tactile sensation to track the rehabilitation process, collecting signals related to approaching speed and grip strength sequentially. The SAER uses polyurethane ionoelastomer incorporated with quasi-solid conductive salt as the electric field receptor, and is integrated on a rehabilitation-training ball after assembly to establish an untethered detection device; this enables the remote capture of hand approaching parameter within a 9 cm range, followed by the quantification of grip strength when contacting and grasping. Furthermore, a data-driven assessment system is established by integrating machine learning, which accurately classifies rehabilitation efficiency into six levels; it supports for rehabilitation evaluation and training programs adjustment. Overall, the SAER-based rehabilitation management system establishes a paradigm that synergistically evaluating parameters corresponding to neuromuscular functional restoration and holds strong potential for home-based active rehabilitation for minimizing dependence on frequent clinical supervision.
Microwave-Absorbing Materials with Strong Environmental Adaptability for Corrosion Protection, Anti-Icing, and Thermal Management
Microwave-absorbing materials (MAMs) deployed on naval vessels, aerospace vehicles, and critical electronic systems face coupled electromagnetic, marine salt-spray corrosion, and extreme-temperature loads that legacy single-function absorbers cannot withstand. This review consolidates progress on three environmentally adaptive MAM classes: corrosion-protective, anti-icing, and thermal-management absorbers. The electromagnetic loss and impedance-matching fundamentals are first established, then the synergistic mechanisms, design strategies, and characterization protocols for each class are examined against representative material systems and their measured performance. The analysis identifies a shared design logic—multiscale hierarchical architecture, interfacial polarization engineering, and multifunctional phase integration—while distinguishing the divergent protection mechanisms: barrier and passivation effects for corrosion, surface-energy and latent-heat regulation for anti-icing, and phonon–electron transport decoupling for thermal management. Persistent bottlenecks include the trade-off between impedance matching and protective-layer density, the absence of standardized coupled-field test protocols, and the scarcity of long-term salt-spray and thermal-cycling durability data. Future directions are delineated: intelligent self-adaptive absorbers, multiphysics-coupled simulation frameworks, and environmentally benign multifunctional integration. The review provides a theoretical and technical basis for the design, construction, and engineering scale-up of next-generation high-performance absorbers for aerospace, electronic, and marine equipment.