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As the third generation of luminescent materials, thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF)-type compounds have great potential as emitter molecules in OLEDs allowing for electro-fluorescence with 100 % internal quantum efficiency. For organic electronics, the general wide range of applications from OLEDs, bio-fluorescence imaging to sensor technologies and photonic energy storages roots on the enormous variety of organic materials. Especially in the field of metal- free aromatic designs, the range of possible materials showing diverse triplet harvesting effects is immense, making material development a highly complex task. Firstly, initial efforts in the understanding of the basic concepts behind TADF will be highlighted. A rational design strategy for TADF materials will be illustrated on an innovative material series based on phenylcarbazoles. A reasonable branch of isomers are theoretically constructed and slight stoichiometric modifications are performed to understand how molecular structure and intramolecular steric hindrance affects reverse intersystem crossing (RISC), while simultaneously revealing the strategy for deep blue TADF. The rational design of a bluish green TADF material called 5CzCF3Ph providing CIEy ≤ 0.4 is demonstrated, enabling peak EQE values of 12.1 % with a promising LT50 of 2 hrs at 500 cd∙m-2. Subsequently, the photophysics of five newly designed trimeric donor (D)-acceptor (A)-donor (D) type material compounds, analogue concepts to archetypical TADF designs, highlight the importance of intramolecular electronic couplings between adjacent triplet states for adiabatically-driven TADF, revealing the mechanism of local type triplet state perturbations on 3CT states. The most promising candidate (DMAC-PTO-DMAC) is disclosed and in turn optimized to meet required conditions for deep blue TADF emission. Ultimately, a deep blue luminescent material called isoDMAC-PTO is developed, featuring CIE coordinates of (0.16, 0.14) with an overall quantum yield of (86.4 ± 0.5) %. The focus switches to the fundamental understanding of the underlying mechanism giving rise to TADF in small molecules, leaving the scope of deep blue emission. While investigating the photophysical properties of a synthesized donor (D)-acceptor (A) type thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) emitter named methyl 2-(9,9-dimethylacridin-10-yl)benzoate (DMAC-MB), it is possible to identify the excited state dynamics mediating the spin-flip process and hence the reutilization of non-radiative triplet states allowing for an internal quantum efficiency approaching unity. As experimentally observed by detailed temperature- and time-dependent transient photoluminescence (PL) measurements and consolidated by comprehensive quantum-chemical considerations, excited state configuration interaction by non-adiabatic couplings are anticipated as key property behind triplet up-conversion in the vicinity of conical intersections, contributing to recent research facing the exciton management within the auspicious field of TADF. For the first time, this thesis reports that even a TADF-silent molecule can be converted into efficient TADF systems by increasing the donor π- conjugation length through polymerization of the building block itself. With a total photoluminescence quantum yield up to 71 %, comprehensible research illustrates an efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence polymer P1, based solely on non-TADF chromophores represented by a model compound 2 (PLQY of 3 % at RT). Finally, as predicted by TDDFT calculations and shown for the first time in the aspiring field of TADF, a thermally activated delayed fluorescence polymer based on a merely radiative, solely phosphorescent repeating unit is demonstrated. Intramolecular π-conjugation is exploited to trigger the charge-transfer excited state energy, revealing a general design tool to provoke TADF, reserved in particular for polymers. While the introduced twisted methyl 2-(9,9-dimethylacridin-10-yl) benzoate (DMAC-MB) reveals efficient thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF), a modified analogue 9,9-Dimethyl-5H,9H-quinolino[3,2,1-de]acridin-5-one (DMAC-ACR) shows emerging room temperature phosphorescence (RTP). As for TADF, intramolecular non-adiabatic couplings are unlocked as key feature actuating persistent RTP, linking photophysical analogies between TADF and RTP to structural self-similarities. Last but not least, degradation processes in TADF materials will be addressed. A correlation between theoretically calculated bond-dissociation energies (BDEs) and phenomenological observations reveals that low BDEs, in particular along pronounced charge-transfer bonds, ultimately lead to irreversible TADF material degradation induced by bi-molecular processes comprising TPQ as well as TTA. Finally, this thesis reveals the photophysics of 24 newly designed, synthesized and characterized TADF materials and demonstrates a fundamentally new approach for RTP, based on structural analogues to TADF. Far reaching design principles as conjugation induced TADF in polymers, as well as new design strategies selectively incorporating virbonic couplings yield device performances comprising LT50 of 2 hrs at 500 cd∙m-2 and targeted deep blue emission with CIE (0.16, 0.14). While lighting the way for TADF as future luminescent OLED materials, intrinsic material instabilities due to low bond-dissociation energies are disclosed as key-issues for tomorrows research.