Imidazophenanthridine ligands and metal complexes are provided. The compounds exhibit improved stability through a linking substitution that links a nitrogen bonded carbon of an imidazole ring to a carbon on the adjacent fused aryl ring. The compounds may be used in organic light emitting devices, particularly as emissive dopants, providing devices with improved efficiency, stability, and manufacturing. In particular, the compounds provided herein may be used in blue devices having high efficiency.