Highly efficient, dual state emission from an organic semiconductor

We report highly efficient, simultaneous fluorescence and phosphorescence (74% yield) at room temperature from a single molecule ensemble of (BzP)PB [N,N′-bis(4-benzoyl-phenyl)-N,N′-diphenyl-benzidine] dispersed into a polymer host. The slow phosphorescence (208 ms lifetime) is very efficient (50%) at room temperature and only possible because the non-radiative rate for the triplet state is extremely low (2.4 × 100 s−1). The ability of an organic molecule to function as an efficient dual state emitter at room temperature is unusual and enables a wide range of applications including the use as broadband down-conversion emitters, optical sensors and attenuators, exciton probes, and spin-independent intermediates for Förster resonant energy transfer.