This review compiles recent achievements and applications of purely organic small luminescent DBC. We present frequently employed functionalities and design strategies, accomplishing room temperature phosphorescence (RTP). In addition, we discuss the challenges for luminescent selenium and tellurium derivatives as well as the influence of commercial impurities on the photophysical properties of this compound class.

Abstract

Dibenzochalcogenophenes (DBC) have attracted huge attention ever since the discovery that they are able to act as potent (phosphorescent) emitters more than 60 years ago. From then on, they were extensively used as versatile emissive platforms for applications in materials science and optoelectronics. In this review, we focus on the main achievements of the past 20 years, highlighting especially monomolecular small purely organic compounds with less than 10 aromatic units and only one chalcogenophene moiety. Besides this, we wish to focus on their emission properties and to evaluate general design principles to fine-tune photophysical properties.