Perylenebisimide (PBI) was used to prepare C^N cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes that show strong absorption of visible light and it is the first time the long-lived triplet excited state of PBI chromophore was observed in a transition metal complex (τT = 22.3 μs). Previously, the lifetime of the triplet state of PBI in transition metal complexes was usually shorter than 1.0 μs. Long-lived tripl...