Spirobifluorene-Linked Bisanthracene: An Efficient Blue Emitter with Pronounced Thermal Stability

Spiro-FPA, a novel blue emitter, in which two identical anthracene luminophores are linked orthogonally around a spirobifluorene core, has been synthesized and characterized. The introduction of a spiro linkage into the structure of spiro-FPA leads to a reduction in crystallization tendency and an increase in glass transition temperature relative to the monomeric units. In addition, the tetrahedral nature of the carbon atom at the spiro center preserves the optical and electrochemical characteristics of the pristine anthracene units. As demonstrated by AFM measurements, high-quality amorphous films of spiro-FPA with good morphological stability can be prepared by vapor deposition. Organic EL devices constructed using a 1.0-wt % TBP-doped spiro-FPA emitting layer produce bright blue emissions with a high luminescence efficiency of 4.9 cd\A (2.07 lm\W).