A team of researchers achieved a significant milestone in organic light-emitting diode (OLED) technology, developing a deep blue OLED that operates efficiently on a mere 1.5 volts. Materials Associate Prof Seiichiro Izawa, from the Materials and Structures Laboratory at Science Tokyo, Japan, has developed an important innovation. This jump addresses the pesky problems of blue emitters, long considered the most difficult color to master for full-color display technology.
The research reporting this advance was published online in the journal Advanced Optical Materials on September 30, 2025. The tB-CZ2CO material, a derivative of QAO featuring bulky tert-butyl side groups has tremendous promise. This innovative structure was vital to the success of the low operating voltage. Our research team was filled with phenomenal talent. Members to be especially proud of were Professor Yutaka Majima, doctoral students Qing-jun Shui and Hiroto Iwasaki, and Master’s student Daiki Nakahigashi.
Challenges in Blue OLEDs
Blue OLEDs have historically been difficult for developers, thanks to their increased energy requirements and lack of long-term stability. Historically, these devices require actuation voltages in excess of 3 volts. Besides requiring them to waste so much energy, it has opened a Pandora’s box of questions about their durability and performance. To do so, the researchers set out to blow past these hurdles with their creative approach.
In their test runs, the team found something novel and very promising. Devices even with only 0.5% of the tB-CZ2CO content produced an intense, dark blue emission at 447 nm. This emission has a very narrow bandwidth of just 20 nm. It’s even passed the stringent BT.2020 color specification for wide-gamut displays. Such performance continues to be critical for applications with specific requirements where the highest level of color fidelity is an absolute requirement.
As a result, this breakthrough is pretty amazing. Blue emitters are a critical piece for achieving bright colors in all display technologies, along with red and green emitters. In this research team’s work, they specifically focused on reducing voltage requirements. This discovery paves the way for the design of more energy-efficient and longer-lasting OLED displays.
Mechanism Behind the Breakthrough
The researchers explored the energy transfer mechanisms within their OLED devices to understand how they achieved such low operating voltages. Energy then transfers to the triplet excitons, or dark states, in the host material. When two of these triplets annihilate, they produce a higher-energy singlet state. This process is a key factor in maximizing the efficiency of light emission in OLEDs.
By taking advantage of tB-CZ2CO, the team successfully improved the stability and efficiency of deep blue light emission to a large degree. The large tert-butyl side groups of this derivative made the devices more efficient OLEDs. They dramatically upped their longevity, which would have commercially applicable ramifications.
The study is about more than technical accolade. It paves the way for breakthroughs in the advancement of organic electronics. With continued refining of these low-voltage OLEDs, the consumer electronics market will reap tremendous rewards. Beyond everyday applications, they can radically change industries such as lighting replacement and automotive display.
Future Prospects
The study yielded some very encouraging findings. Encouraged by these results, the team will further explore the properties and applications of tB-CZ2CO in various OLED structures. If they succeed, it would transform display technologies in the world. Their LED and Laser projectors provide energy-saving, eco-friendly solutions with exceptional performance in vivid color and sharp detail.
As industries strive for more sustainable practices, such advancements in OLED technology could contribute to reducing overall energy consumption in electronic devices. The possibilities for incorporating these low-voltage blue OLEDs into current infrastructures, or creating new applications, are limitless.