Transition-metal phosphors with cyclometalating ligands: fundamentals and applications

One goal of this critical review is to provide advanced methodologies for systematic preparation of transition-metal based phosphors that show latent applications in the field of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs). We are therefore reviewing various types of cyclometalating chelates for which the favorable metal-chelate bonding interaction, on the one hand, makes the resulting phosphorescent complexes highly emissive in both fluid and solid states at room temperature. On the other hand, fine adjustment of ligand-centered pi-pi* electronic transitions allows tuning of emission wavelength across the whole visible spectrum. The cyclometalating chelates are then classified according to types of cyclometalating…