Efficient deep-blue electroluminescence from Ce-based metal halide

Abstract Rare earth ions with d-f transitions (Ce 3+ , Eu 2+ ) have emerged as promising candidates for electroluminescence applications due to their abundant emission spectra, high light conversion efficiency, and excellent stability. However, directly injecting charge into 4 f orbitals remains a significant challenge, resulting in unsatisfied external quantum efficiency and high operating voltage in rare earth light-emitting diodes. Herein, we propose a scheme to solve the difficulty by utilizing the energy transfer process. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transient absorption spectra suggest that the Cs 3 CeI 6 luminescence process is primarily driven by the energy transfer from the I 2 -based self-trapped exciton to the Ce-based Frenkel exciton. Furthermore, energy transfer efficiency is largely improved by enhancing the spectra overlap between the self-trapped exciton emission and the Ce-based Frenkel exciton excitation. When implemented as an active layer in light-emitting diodes, they show the maximum brightness and external quantum efficiency of 1073 cd m −2 and 7.9%, respectively.