Chiral supramolecular electronics for high-efficiency circularly polarized organic light-emitting diodes

Abstract

The integration of chirality into organic semiconductors has long been pursued due to its potential to facilitate circularly polarized light emission, with significant implications for advanced displays, quantum information processing, and spintronics. However, the simultaneous attainment of a high dissymmetry factor and elevated efficiency in circularly polarized organic light-emitting diodes presents a fundamental challenge. In the recent work, Chowdhury et al. introduce a paradigm-shifting approach through the supramolecular engineering of chiral electronic structures (Science, 2025, 387, 1175–1181). This was achieved through in situ chiral crystallization of triazatruxene derivatives, driven by thermally activated nanophase segregation in vacuum-deposited thin films. The resulting films deliver notable electroluminescence (EL), characterized by a high EL dissymmetry factor (g_EL ≈ 0.12) and an external quantum efficiency (EQE ≈ 16%). This research establishes a novel platform for chiral optoelectronics by generating band-level chirality through effective supramolecular organization.

Keywords

chiral electronics / circularly polarized light / electroluminescence / organic light-emitting diodes

References

[1] H. Jiang, Y. Zhang, L. An, Q. Tan, X. Dai, Y. Chen, W. Chen, H. Cai, J. Fu, J. Zúñiga-Pérez, Z. Li, J. Teng, Y. Chen, C.-W. Qiu, W. Gao, Nat. Mater. 2025, 24, 861.

[2] Z. P. Song, J. Wei, J. Liu, Z. F. Chu, J. X. Hu, S. Chakraborty, Y. Ma, B. X. Li, Y. Q. Lu, Q. Zhao, Adv. Mater. 2025, 37, 2419640.

[3] P. Tao, J. Jin, X. Zheng, Y.-J. Pu, W.-Y. Wong, Matter 2025, 8, 102142.

[4] X. Jiao, Y. Wang, R. Zhu, Y. Chen, J. Pan, Z. Lu, X. C. Hang, Z. Sun, W. Huang, FlexMat 2025, 2, 442.

[5] Z. Cai, K. Ye, H. Luo, J. Tang, G. Yang, H. Xie, H. Yang, K. Xu, Research 2025, 8, 0779.

[6] Y. Wan, H.-T. Yuan, Q. Xu, F. Liu, N. Cai, Q. Xue, X.-C. Li, W.-Y. Lai, Macromolecules 2025, 58, 6634.

[7] L. Feng, S. Yang, C. Zha, Y. Yin, L. Wang, FlexMat 2025, 2, 420.

[8] Y. Yan, C. Liu, J. Fan, Y. Li, H. Liu, Q. Wang, X. Li, J. Li, W.-Y. Lai, Research 2023, 6, 0241.

[9] X.-C. Li, H. Sun, Z. Wang, W. Yang, Q. Wang, C. Wu, J. Chen, Q. Jiang, L.-J. He, Q. Xue, W. Huang, W. Y. Lai, Nat. Commun. 2025, 16, 3321.

[10] Q. Zhang, Y. Divayana, J. Xiao, Z. Wang, E. R. Tiekink, H. M. Doung, H. Zhang, F. Boey, X. W. Sun, F. Wudl, Chem. - Eur. J. 2010, 16, 7422.

[11] P.-Y. Gu, Y. Zhao, J.-H. He, J. Zhang, C. Wang, Q.-F. Xu, J.-M. Lu, X. W. Sun, Q. Zhang, J. Org. Chem. 2015, 80, 3030.

[12] H. Li, C. Chen, Z. Ye, K. Feng, J. Huang, G. Xie, Y. Tao, FlexMat 2024, 1, 173.

[13] X. F. Luo, J. Y. Wang, C. Wang, C. Deng, X. Xiao, Y. X. Zheng, FlexMat 2025, 2, 303.

[14] X. Cheng, Z. Dou, H. Lian, Z. Qin, H. Guo, X. Li, W. Y. Wong, Q. Dong, FlexMat 2024, 1, 127.

[15] G. Long, R. Sabatini, M. I. Saidaminov, G. Lakhwani, A. Rasmita, X. Liu, E. H. Sargent, W. Gao, Nat. Rev. Mater. 2020, 5, 423.

[16] F. Zinna, U. Giovanella, L. Di Bari, Adv. Mater. 2015, 27, 1791.

[17] Y.-H. Kim, Y. Zhai, H. Lu, X. Pan, C. Xiao, E. A. Gaulding, S. P. Harvey, J. J. Berry, Z. V. Vardeny, J. M. Luther, M. C. Beard, Science 2021, 371, 1129.

[18] R. Chowdhury, M. D. Preuss, H.-H. Cho, J. J. Thompson, S. Sen, T. K. Baikie, P. Ghosh, Y. Boeije, X. W. Chua, K.-W. Chang, E. Guo, J. van der Tol, B. W. L. van den Bersselaar, A. Taddeucci, N. Daub, D. M. Dekker, S. T. Keene, G. Vantomme, B. Ehrler, S. C. J. Meskers, A. Rao, B. Monserrat, E. W. Meijer, R. H. Friend, Science 2025, 387, 1175.

[19] H.-H. Cho, S. Gorgon, G. Londi, S. Giannini, C. Cho, P. Ghosh, C. Tonnelé, D. Casanova, Y. Olivier, T. K. Baikie, F. Li, D. Beljonne, N. C. Greenham, R. H. Friend, E. W. Evans, Nat. Photonics 2024, 18, 905.

[20] H.-H. Cho, D. G. Congrave, A. J. Gillett, S. Montanaro, H. E. Francis, V. Riesgo-Gonzalez, J. Ye, R. Chowdury, W. Zeng, M. K. Etherington, J. Royakkers, O. Millington, A. D. Bond, F. Plasser, J. M. Frost, C. P. Grey, A. Rao, R. H. Friend, N. C. Greenham, H. Bronstein, Nat. Mater. 2024, 23, 519.

Rights & permissions

2026 The Author(s). FlexMat published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd on behalf of Nanjing University of Posts & Telecommunications.