Simultaneous blue, green, and red emission from diblock copolymer micellar films: a new approach to white-light emission

White-light emission is achieved from a single layer of diblock copolymer micelles containing green- and red-light-emitting dyes in the separate micellar cores and blue-light-emitting polymer around their periphery, in which fluorescence resonance energy transfer between fluorophores is inhibited due to micelle isolation, resulting in simultaneous emission of these three species.

Harvesting Excitons Via Two Parallel Channels for Efficient White Organic LEDs with Nearly 100% Internal Quantum Efficiency: Fabrication and Emission-Mechanism Analysis

By incorporating two phosphorescent dyes, namely, iridium(III)[bis(4,6-difluorophenyl)-pyridinato-N,C-2']picolinate (Flrpic) for blue emission and bis(2-(9,9-diethyl-9H-fluoren-2-yl)-1-phenyl-1 H-benzoimidazol-N,C-3) iridium(acetylacetonate) ((fbi)(2)Ir(acac)) for orange emission, into a single-energy well-like emissive layer, an extremely high-efficiency white organic light-emitting diode (WOLED) with excellent color stability is demonstrated. This device can achieve a peak forward-viewing power efficiency of 42.5 lm W-1, corresponding to an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 19.3% and a current efficiency of 52.8 cd A(-1). Systematic studies of the dopants, host and dopant-doped host films in terms of photophysical properties (including absorption, photoluminescence, and excitation spectra), transient photoluminescence, current density-voltage characteristics, and temperature-dependent electroluminescence spectra are subsequently performed, from which it is concluded that the emission natures of Flrpic and (fbi)(2)Ir(acac) are, respectively, host-guest energy transfer and a direct exciton formation process. These two parallel pathways serve to channel the overall excitons to both dopants, greatly reducing unfavorable energy losses.

Surface modification of poly(dimethylsiloxane) microchips using a double-chained cationic surfactant for efficiently resolving fluorescent dye adsorption

This paper described a double-chained cationic surfactant, didodecyldimethylammonium bromide (DDAB). for dynamic surface modification of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) microchips to reduce the fluorescent dyes adsorption onto the microchannel. When DDAB with a high concentration was present as the dynamic modification reagent in the running and sample buffer, it not only reversed the direction of electroosmotic flow, but also efficiently suppressed fluorescent dyes pyronine Y (PY) or rhodamine 8 (RB) adsorption onto the chip surface. In addition, vesicles formed by DDAB in the buffer with higher surface charge density and electrophoretic mobility could provide wider migration window and potential for the separation of compounds with similar hydrophobicity. Factors affecting modification, such as pH and concentrations of the buffer, DDAB concentration in the buffer were investigated. Compared with commonly used single-chained cetyltrimethylammonium bromide, DDAB provided a better modification performance.

Highly efficient single-emitting-layer white organic light-emitting diodes with reduced efficiency roll-off

By codoping blue and orange phosphorescent dyes into a single host material, a highly efficient white organic light-emitting diode (WOLED) with Commission Internationale de L'Eclairage coordinates of (0.38, 0.43) at 12 V is demonstrated. Remarkably, this WOLED achieves reduced current efficiency roll-off, which slightly decreases from its maximum value of 37.3-31.0 cd/A at 1000 cd/m(2). The device operational mechanism is subsequently investigated in order to unveil the origin of the high performance.

Tuning the Energy Level of Organic Sensitizers for High-Performance Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Cost-effective organic sensitizers will play a pivotal role in the future large-scale production and application of dye-sensitized solar cells. Here we report two new organic D-pi-A dyes featuring electron-rich 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene- and 2,2'-bis(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-conjugated linkers, showing a remarkable red-shifting of photocurrent action spectra compared with their thiophene and bithiophene counterparts. On the basis of the 3-f{5'-[N,N-bis(9,9-dimethylfluorene-2-yl)phenyl]-2,2'-bis(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)-5-yl}2-cyanoacrylic acid dye, we have set a new efficiency record of 7.6% for solvent-free dye-sensitized solar cells based on metal-free organic sensitizers. Importantly, the cell exhibits an excellent stability, keeping over 92% of its initial efficiency after 1000 h accelerated tests under full sunlight soaking at 60 degrees C. This achievement will considerably encourage further design and exploration of metal-free organic dyes for higher performance dye-sensitized solar cells.

Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells Based on Organic Sensitizers with Different Conjugated Linkers: Furan, Bifuran, Thiophene, Bithiophene, Selenophene, and Biselenophene

Six organic dyes with different conjugated linkers such as furan, bifuran, thiophene, bithiophene, selenophene, and biselenophene have been prepared in combination with the dihexyloxy-substituted triphenylamine donor and the cyanoacrylic acid acceptor. In conjunction with an acetonitrile-based electrolyte and a solvent-free ionic liquid electrolyte, these dyes exhibit 6.88-7.77% and 6.39-7.00% efficiencies, respectively. We have demonstrated that furan and selenophene can be employed as building blocks of sensitizers in stable solar cells for the first time. We have also studied the influence of heteroatoms on photocurrents and photovoltages with the aid of quantum calculations and transient photoelectrical decay measurements. Temperature-dependent electrical impedance experiments have shown that a relatively low external quantum efficiency of the dye with biselenophene linker is not related to the charge collection yield in the case of an acetonitrile electrolyte.

A simple route to incorporate redox mediator into carbon nanotubes/Nafion composite film and its application to determine NADH at low potential

Through a new and simple ion-exchange route, two-electron redox mediator thionine has been deliberately incorporated into the carbon nanotubes (CNTs)/Nafion composite film due to the fact that there is strong interaction between any of two among the three materials (ion-exchange process between thionine and Nafion, strong adsorption of thionine by CNTs, and wrapping and solubilizing of CNTs with Nation). The good homogenization of electron conductor CNTs in the integrated films provides the possibility of three-dimensional electron conductive network. The resulting integrated films exhibited high and stable electrocatalytic activity toward NADH oxidation with the significant decrease of high overpotential, which responds more sensitively more than those modified by thioine or CNTs alone. Such high electrocatalytic activity facilitated the low potential determination of NADH (as low as -0.1 V), which eliminated the interferences from other easily oxidizable species. In a word, the immobilization approach is very simple, timesaving and effective, which could be extended to the immobilization of other cationic redox mediators into the CNTs/Nafion composite film. And these features may offer potential promise for the design of amperometric biosensors.

Molecular design on highly efficient white electroluminescence from a single-polymer system with simultaneous blue, green, and red emission

A highly efficient white electroluminescent polymer with simultaneous blue, green, and red emission is reported, developed using a dopant/host strategy by covalently attaching both a green- and a red-light-emitting dopant to the side chain of a blue-light-emitting polymer host (see figure). In a single-layer device a maximum luminance efficiency of 7.3 cd A(-1) with CIE coordinates of (0.31,0.32) is achieved.

White electroluminescence from a single polymer system: Improved performance by means of enhanced efficiency and red-shifted luminescence of the blue-light-emitting species

High-efficiency white electrolurninescence from a single polymer is achieved by enhancing the electroluminescence efficiency and effecting a red-shift in the emission spectrum of the blue emissive species. A single-layer device of the resultant polymer exhibits a higher luminous efficiency than the nonmodified species (12.8 cd A(-1), see figure) and an external quantum efficiency of 5.4 % with CIE coordinates of (0.31,0.36), exemplifying the success of the reported methodology.

White electroluminescence from a single-polymer system with simultaneous two-color emission: Polyfluorene as blue host and 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole derivatives as orange dopants on the side chain

Four single polymers with two kinds of attachment of orange chromophore to blue polymer host for white electroluminescence (EL) were designed. The effect of the side-chain attachment and main-chain attachment on the EL efficiencies of the resulting polymers was compared. The side-chain-type single polymers are found to exhibit more efficient white EL than that of the main-chain-type single polymers. Based on the side-chain-type white single polymer with 4-(4-alkyloxy-phenyl)-7-(4-diphenylamino-phenyl)-2,1,3-benzothiadiazoles as the orange-dopant unit and polyfluorene as the blue polymer host, white EL with simultaneous orange (lambda(max) = 545 nm) and blue emission (lambda(max) = 432 nm/460 nm) is realised. A single-layer device (indium tin oxide/poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene)/polymer/Ca/Al) made of these polymers emits white light with the Commission Internationale de l'Eclairage coordinates of (0.30,0.40), possesses a turn-on voltage of 3.5 V, luminous efficiency of 10.66 cd A(-1), power efficiency of 6.68 lm W-1, and a maximum brightness of 21240 cd m(-2).

Amplified spontaneous emission and gain from optically pumped films of dye-doped polymers

The amplified spontaneous emission and gain characteristics of various fluorescent dyes, 2-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-6(2-(2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-1,1,7,7-tetramethyl-1H,5H-benzo[ij] quinolizin-9-1)ethenyl)-4H-pyran-4-ylidene) propanedinitrile (DCJTB) and 4-dicyanomethylene-2-methyl-6-(p-dimethyl-aminostyryl)-4H-pyran (DCM), doped in polystyrene (PS) matrices were studied and compared. It was found that DCJTB has a larger net gain, 40.72 cm(-1), a lower loss, 2.49 cm(-1), and a lower threshold, 0.16 (mJ/pulse)/cm(2), than DCM, which has a net gain of 11.95 cm(-1), a loss of 9.25 cm(-1), and a threshold of 4(mJ/pulse)/cm(2). The improvement of performance in DCJTB PS films is attributed to the larger free volume of DCJTB caused by the introduction of steric spacer groups into the DCJTB molecule.

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.

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).

An approach for fabricating self-assembled monolayer of Ag nanoparticles on gold as the SERS-active substrate

In this paper, an approach for fabricating an active surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate is adopted. This approach is based on the assembling of silver nanoparticles film on gold substrate. Rhodamine 6G (R6G) and p-aminothiophenol (P-ATP) were used as probe molecules for SERS experiments, showing that this new active substrate has sensitivity to SERS response. Tapping-mode atomic force microscopy (AFM) was also used to investigate the surface morphology following the fabricating process of the active SERS substrate, which showed that large quantities of silver nanoparticles were uniformly coated on the substrate.

Luminescent film with terbium-complex-bridged polysilsesquioxanes

A luminescent film with terbium-complex-bridged polysilsesquioxanes has been prepared by sol-gel processing of a new bifunctional monomer that combines the role of a sol-gel molecular precursor with a Tb3+ ion coordinate donor. The emission from Tb3+ ion due to ligand-to-metal energy transfer was observed by UV excitation.