Novel hole-transporting materials based on 1,4-bis(carbazolyl)benzene for organic light-emitting devices

Novel hole-transporting molecules containing 1,4-bis(carbazolyl)benzene as a central unit and different numbers of diphenylamine moieties as the peripheral groups have been synthesized and characterized. These compounds are thermally stable with high glass transition temperatures of 141-157 degreesC and exhibit chemically reversible redox processes. Their amorphous state stability and hole transport properties can be significantly improved by increasing the number of diphenylamine moieties in the outer part and by controlling the symmetry of the carbazole-based molecules. These compounds can be used as good hole-tran sporting materials for organic electroluminescent (EL) devices. The device performance based on tri- and tetra-substituted carbazole derivatives is comparable to that of a typical 4,4'-bis[N-(1-naphthyl)-N-phenylamino] biphenyl (NPB)-based device.

Blue light-emitting poly(fluorene-co-benzene) containing an oxadiazole moiety

A new kind of polyfluorene containing oxadiazole as the side chain was synthesized. The introduction of oxadiazole moiety as more bulky group prevents the aggregation and reduces the crystallinity of the polymers. Efficient intramolecular energy transfer from oxadiazole moiety to the conjugated backbone has been realized, leading to 70% improvement of photoluminescence quantum efficiency of the designed polymers. Compared with PAF, the PFOXD exhibits significant improvement in electroluminescence properties, with luminous efficiency of 0.8 cd/A and maximum luminance of 1800 cd/m(2).

Highly efficient green-emitting phosphorescent iridium dendrimers based on carbazole dendrons

Green-emitting iridium dendrimers with rigid hole-transporting carbazole dendrons are designed, synthesized, and investigated. With second-generation dendrons, the photoluminescence quantum yield of the dendrimers is up to 87% in solution and 45% in a film. High-quality films of the dendrimers are fabricated by spin-coating, producing highly efficient. non-doped electrophosphorescent organic light-ernitting diodes (OLEDs). With a device structure of indium tin oxide/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiopheiie):poly(styrene sulfonic acid)/neat dendrimer/1,3,5-tris(2-N-phenylbenzimidazolyl)benzene/LiF/Al, a maximum external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 10.3% and a maximum luminous efficiency of 34.7 cd A(-1) are realized. By doping the dendrimers into a carbazole-based host, the maximum EQE can be further increased to 16.6%. The integration of rigid hole-transporting dendrons and phosphorescent complexes provides a new route to design highly efficient solution-processable dendrimers for OLED applications.

Highly efficient pure-white-light-emitting diodes from a single polymer: Polyfluorene with naphthalimide moieties

Light-emitting diodes exhibiting efficient pure-white-light electroluminescence have been successfully developed by using a single polymer: polyfluorene derivatives with 1,8-naphthalimide chromophores chemically doped onto the polyfluorene backbones. By adjusting the emission wavelength of the 1,8-naphthalimide components and optimizing the relative content of 1,8-naphthalimide derivatives in the resulting polymers, white-light electroluminescence from a single polymer, as opposed to a polymer blend, has been obtained in a device with a configuration of indium tin oxide/poly(3,4-ethyleiledioxythiophene)(50 nm)/polymer(80 nm)/Ca(10 nm)/Al(100 nm). The device exhibits Commission Internationale de I'Eclairage coordinates of (0.32,0.36), a maximum brightness of 11900 cd m(-2), a current efficiency of 3.8 cd A(-1), a power efficiency of 2.0 lm W-1. an external quantum efficiency of 1.50 %, and quite stable color coordinates at different driving voltages, even at high luminances of over 5000 cd m(-2).

Highly efficient electroluminescence from green-light-emitting electrochemical cells based on Cu-I complexes

The complexes [Cu(dnpb)(DPEphos)](+)(X-) (dnpb and DPEphos are 2,9-di-n-butyl-1,10-phenanthroline and bis[2-(diphenyl-phosphino)phenyl]ether, respectively, and X- is BF4-, ClO4-, or PF6-) can form high quality films with photoluminescence quantum yields of up to 71 +/- 7%. Their electroluminescent properties are studied using the device-structure indium tin oxide (ITO)/complex/metal cathiode. The devices emit green light efficiently, with an emission maximum of 523 nm, and work in the mode of light-emitting electrochemical cells. The response time of the devices greatly depends on the driving voltage, the counterions, and the thickness of the complex film. After pre-biasing at 25 V for 40 s, the devices turn on instantly, with a turn-on voltage of ca. 2.9 V. A current efficiency of 56 cd A(-1) and an external quantum efficiency of 16% are realised with Al as the cathode. Using a low-work-function metal as the cathode can significantly enhance the brightness of the device almost without affecting the turn-on voltage and current efficiency. With a Ca cathode, a brightness of 150 cd m(-2) at 6 V and 4100 cd m(-2) at 25 V is demonstrated. The electroluminescent performance of these types of complexes is among the best so far for transition metal complexes with counterions.

Engineering white light-emitting Eu-doped ZnO urchins by biopolymer-assisted hydrothermal method

With the presence of biopolymer-sodium alginate as additive, Eu-doped ZnO (zinc oxide) urchins consisting of nanorods were synthesized through a hydrothermal route. X-ray diffraction pattern makes evident the absence of phase other than wurtzite ZnO. Upon excited by 325 nm xenon laser, such nanostructured Eu-doped ZnO urchins emit white light, which originates from the luminescence of ZnO and the intra-4f transitions of Eu3+ ions. Besides acting as stabilizing agent, sodium alginate may also sensitize the Eu3+ ions in the nanostructures and facilitate the energy transfer from the host to Eu3+ ions. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.

White polymeric light-emitting diodes with high color rendering index

The efficient white polymeric light-emitting diodes based on a white emissive polymer doped with a red phosphorescent dopant were fabricated by spin-coating method. The emission spectrum of the device is broadened to cover the full visible region by doping the red phosphorescent dye and thereby realizes white emission with high color-rendering index (CRI). By controlling the contents of the doped electron-transporting 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole and the red phosphorescent dopant, a luminous efficiency as high as 5.3 cd/A and a power efficiency of 3 lm/W were obtained with a CRI of 92.

Blue light-emitting polymer with polyfluorene as the host and highly fluorescent 4-dimethylamino-1,8-naphthalimide as the dopant in the sidechain

The dopant/host concept, which is an efficient approach to enhance the electroluminescence (EL) efficiency and stability for organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) devices, has been applied to design efficient and stable blue light-emitting polymers. By covalently attaching 0.2 mol % highly fluorescent 4-dimethylamino-1,8-naphthalimide (DMAN) unit (photoluminescence quantum efficiency: Phi(PL)=0.84) to the pendant chain of polyfluorene, an efficient and colorfast blue light-emitting polymer with a dopant/host system and a molecular dispersion feature was developed. The single-layer device (indium tin oxide/PEDOT/polymer/Ca/Al) exhibited the maximum luminance efficiency of 6.85 cd/A and maximum power efficiency of 5.38 lm/W with the CIE coordinates of (0.15, 0.19). Moreover, no undesired long-wavelength green emission was observed in the EL spectra when the device was thermal annealed in air at 180 degrees C for 1 h before cathode deposition. These significant improvements in both efficiency and color stability are due to the charge trapping and energy transfer from polyfluorene host to highly fluorescent DMAN dopant in the molecular level.

White organic light-emitting devices with a phosphorescent multiple emissive layer

A phosphorescent multiple emissive layer, in which a blue emissive layer is sandwiched between red and green ones, is employed in a white organic light-emitting device (OLED). This OLED has a maximum luminance of 48 000 cd/m(2) at 17 V, a maximum power efficiency of 9.9 lm/W at 4 V, and a color rendering index of 82. In addition, the emission color of this device is fairly stable at high luminances: its Commission Internationale de l(')Eclairage coordinate slightly changes from (0.431, 0.436) to (0.400, 0.430) when the luminance ranges from 2000 to 40 000 cd/m(2).

Synthesis and characterization of blue-light-emitting poly(aryl ether)s containing oligofluorenes in the main chain

A series of blue light-emitting poly(aryl ether)s (PAEs) containing ter- or pentafluorenes in the main chain have been synthesized via nucleophilic substitution polycondensation reaction. The energy levels of the polymers were tuned by introducing hole-transporting triaryamine groups in the side chains and/or incorporating electron-transporting oxadiazole segments in the main chain. The optical properties of the polymers are dominantly determined by the well-defined oligofluorene segments, and therefore all polymers show high photoluminescence quantum yield. Differential scanning calorimeter (DSC) characterizations indicate that they are vitrified polymers with high glass transition temperature (up to 156 degrees C). The polymers comprising pentafluorenes exhibit electroluminescent properties equal to or better than fully conjugated fluorene homopolymers. With the device structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/polymer/Ca/Al, an external quantum efficiency of 1.4% along with Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of (0.17, 0.09) has

Highly efficient green light emitting polyfluorene incorporated with 4-diphenylamino-1,8-naphthalimide as green dopant

The dopant/host methodology, which enables efficient tuning of emission color and enhancement of the electroluminescence (EL) efficiency of organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) based on small molecules, is applied to the design and synthesis of highly efficient green light emitting polymers. Highly efficient green light emitting polymers were obtained by covalently attaching just 0.3-1.0 mol% of a green dopant, 4-(N,N-diphenyl) amino-1,8-naphthaliniide (DPAN), to the pendant chain of polyfluorene (the host). The polymers emit green light and exhibit a high photoluminescence (PL) quantum yield of Lip to 0.96 in solid films, which is attributed to the energy transfer from the polyfluorene host to the DPAN dopant unit. Single layer devices (device configuration: ITO/PEDOT/Polymer/Ca/Al) of the polymers exhibit a turn on voltage of 4.8 V, luminance efficiency of 7.43 cd A(-1), power efficiency of 2.96 lm W-1 and CIE coordinates at (0.26, 0.58). The good device performance can be attributed to the energy transfer and charge trapping from the polyfluorene host to the DPAN dopant unit as well as the molecular dispersion of the dopant in the host.

Synthesis and characterization of new carbazole/fluorene-based derivatives for blue-light-emitting devices

2,7-Bis(9-ethylcarbazol-3-yl)-9,9-di(2-ethylhexyl)fluorene and a segmented copolymer composed of the same chromophores alternated with hexamethylene fragments were synthesized. The obtained materials possess good solubility in common organic solvents, high thermal stability with 1% weight loss temperature of 350-370 degrees C, and suitable glass transition temperatures. Both derivatives show blue fluorescence in dilute solutions as well as in solid state, demonstrating that excimers are not formed in the thin films. The fluorescence spectra of the materials do not show any peaks in the long-wavelength region even after annealing at 200 degrees C in air. An organic LED with the configuration of ITO/copolymer/Al generates blue electroluminescence with the maximum peak at 416 nm, rather low turn-on voltage (4.0 V), and brightness of about 400 cd/m(2). The heterostructure device based on model derivative emitted stable blue light with low operation voltage (100 cd/m(2) at similar to 11 V) and demonstrated luminescence efficiency of 0.8 cd/A.

Highly efficient iridium(III) complexes with diphenylquinoline ligands for organic light-emitting diodes: Synthesis and effect of fluorinated substitutes on electrochemistry, photophysics and electroluminescence

A series of novel cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes bearing 2,4-diphenylquinoline ligands with fluorinated substituent were prepared and characterized by elemental analysis, NMR and mass spectroscopy. The cyclic voltammetry, absorption, emission and electroluminescent properties of these complexes were systematically investigated. Electrochemical studies showed that the oxidation of the fluorinated complexes occurred at more positive potentials (in the range 0.57-0.69 V) than the unfluorinated complex 1 (0.42 V). In view of the energy level, the lowering of the LUMO by fluorination is significantly less than that of the HOMO. The weak and low energies absorption bands in the range of 300-600 nm are well resolved, likely associated with MLCT and (3)pi-pi* transitions. These complexes show strong orange red emission both in the solution and solid state. The emission maxima of the fluorinated complexes showed blue shift by 9, 24 and 15 nm for 2, 3 and 4, respectively, with respect to the unfluorinated analogous 1. Multilayered organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) were fabricated by using the complexes as dopant materials. Significantly higher performance and lower turn-on voltage were achieved using the fluorinated complexes as the emitter than that using the unfluorinated counterpart 1 under the same doping level.

Effect of dye-doped concentration on the charge carrier recombination in molecularly doped organic light-emitting devices

The effect of the concentration of 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-t-butyl-6(1,1,7,7-tetramethyljulolidyl- 9-enyl)-4H-pyran(DCJTB) as dopant in tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminium (Alq(3)) on the charge carrier recombination was studied by transient electroluminescence (EL). The electron-hole recombination coefficient (gamma) was determined from the long-time component of the temporal decay of the EL intensity after a rectangular voltage pulse was turned off. It was found that the coefficient monotonically decreased with an increase in the DCJTB-doping concentration. The monotonic decrease is attributed to concentration quenching on the excitons and coincided well with the reduction of the EL efficiency.

Microcavity effects on emissive color and electroluminescent performance in organic light-emitting diodes

Microcavity organic light-emitting diodes having a top metal mirror and a bottom dielectric mirror, which was distributed Bragg reflectors (DBR) fabricated by using TiO2-SiO2 alternative dielectric multilayer with a central stop-band and two sub-stop-bands, were fabricated. In the devices, the active layers consisted of a hole-transporting layer N,N'-di(naphthalene-1-yl)-N,N'-diphenylbenzidine (NPB) and an electron- transporting/emitting layer tris(8-hydroxy-quinoline) aluminum (Alq(3)). The relationship of the electroluminescent (EL) spectrum and efficiency with the thickness of the active layer and metal layer was studied. It was found that the EL emissive color did not strongly depend on the thickness of the organic layer and metal layer, which was attributed to the excellent photon confinement role of the narrow stop-band of the used dielectric mirror. Thus, high efficiency microcavity organic light-emitting diodes were achieved, and the peak wavelength and color purity were not obviously changed, via optimizing the thickness of organic layer and metal electrode.