Rare-earth metal 8-hydroxyquinolinate complexes as materials for organic light-emitting diodes

Rare-earth metal 8-hydroxyquinolinates (q) were studied as emission layers for organic light-emitting diodes. Compounds Dyq₃, Tbq₃, and Smq₃ possess weak electroluminescence due to the emission of the ligand, and the electroluminescence of Hoq₃, Tmq₃, and Ybq₃ is due to electronic transitions of the lanthanide ion. The best electroluminescence characteristics were demonstrated by Scq₃ and Yq₃. The power efficiency of the organic light emitter based on ITO/TPD/Scq₃/Yb (ITO is tin-alloyed indium oxide, TPD is N,N′-bis(3-methylphenyl)-N,N′-diphenylbenzidine) is 2.6 lm W⁻¹ at a luminance of the device of 300 cd m⁻².     

Synthesis,mesomorphic behaviour and optoelectronic properties of phosphorus-based thermotropic liquid crystalline dendrimers

A new series of thermotropic phosphorus-based liquid crystalline (LC) dendrimers based on a thiophosphoryl-phenoxymethyl(methylhydrazono) core (thiophosphoryl-PMMH) up to the fifth generation has been synthesised by solution condensation of aldehyde groups, surface-functionalised thiophosphoryl-PMMH dendritic substrates of generation numbers G_0.5 to G_5.5, with the appropriate molar equivalents of the pro-mesogenic n-hexadecylaniline mono-functional building block. Their chemical composition has been confirmed by ¹H/¹³C/³¹P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, elemental analysis. Optical properties have been studied by ultraviolet-visible absorption, photoluminescence spectroscopy and polarised optical microscopy, and thermal characteristics by differential scanning calorimetry. Electrical studies have been made using the current-voltage characteristics of organic light-emitting diodes consisting of multi-layered indium tin oxide/dendrimer/aluminium tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)Al architecture. It has been demonstrated that the molecular engineering approach adopted can successfully lead to phosphorus-containing dendritic organic semiconductors (OSCs) which show tunable mesomorphic behaviour (extension of the observed smectic mesophase) and (opto) electronic properties, owing to their peripheral decoration with a tunable number of azomethine-based optically active chromophoric units. This rare combination of ‘tunable by design’ properties makes this series of thermostable thiophosphoryl-PMMH-based LC dendrimers a particularly appealing class of OSCs for use in optically and/or electronically active layers of (opto)electronic devices such as light-emitting diodes, field-effect transistors, solar cells and lasers.     

Carbon,Nitrogen, and Chalcogen Substitution Effects on 2,1,3-Benzothiadiazole Derivative: Theoretical Investigations of Electronic,Optical, and Charge Transport Properties

A series of CH₂, NH, O, and Se substituted 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole derivatives have been de-signed and investigated computationally to elucidate their potential as organic light-emitting materials for organic light-emitting diodes. Both ab initio Hartree-Fock and hybrid density functional methods are used. It is found that adjusting the central aromatic ring by replacing S by CH₂, NH, O, and Se makes it possible to fine-tune the electronic, optical, and charge transport properties of the pristine molecule.     

氧化铟锡(ITO)自组装修饰及其对有机电致发光器件性能的影响

设计合成了一种新型的有机硅氧烷Cz-Si,并将其用于ITO自组装修饰。制备的Cz-Si具有较好的稳定性,可以在空气中对ITO进行自组装修饰,实验操作简单。为考察ITO自组装修饰对有机电致发光器件性能的影响,分别以修饰后的ITO(ITO/SAM)及不修饰的ITO(unmodified)作阳极,制备了一系列有机电致发光器件ITO/SAM(orunmodified)/NPB(40~50nm)/Alq₃(60nm)/LiF(1.0nm)/Al。实验结果表明,ITO自组装修饰后器件性能可以得到显著提升,研究认为这与其调控ITO/有机层界面的电子能级、粗糙度以及界面一致性有关。     

氧化铟锡(ITO)自组装修饰及其对有机电致发光器件性能的影响

设计合成了一种新型的有机硅氧烷Cz-Si,并将其用于ITO自组装修饰。制备的Cz-Si具有较好的稳定性,可以在空气中对ITO进行自组装修饰,实验操作简单。为考察ITO自组装修饰对有机电致发光器件性能的影响,分别以修饰后的ITO(ITO/SAM)及不修饰的ITO(unmodified)作阳极,制备了一系列有机电致发光器件ITO/SAM(or unmodified)/NPB(40~50 nm)/Alq₃(60 nm)/LiF(1.0 nm)/Al。实验结果表明,ITO自组装修饰后器件性能可以得到显著提升,研究认为这与其调控ITO/有机层界面的电子能级、粗糙度以及界面一致性有关。     

一种吡嗪铱(Ⅲ)配合物的晶体结构及光物理性质

合成了一种铱配合物二(4,4'-二氟-5-甲基-2,3-二苯基吡嗪) (乙酰丙酮)合铱[(MDPPF)₂Ir(acac)]的有机电致发光器件(OLED),利用X射线单晶衍射仪测定了该化合物的晶体结构. 利用紫外-可见吸收光谱、发射光谱对其光物理性质进行研究. 结果表明: (MDPPF)₂Ir(acac)的单晶结构属于三斜晶系, P1空间群,晶胞参数a=1.13984(3) nm, b=1.26718(3) nm, c=1.29541(3) nm, α=93.7181(19)°, β=101.638(2)°, γ=110.853(3)°, V=1.69336(7) nm³; (MDPPF)₂Ir(acac)在二氯甲烷溶液中的发射峰为555 nm. 以(MDPPF)₂Ir(acac)为客体材料,制备了结构为ITO/NPB(40 nm)/CBP: (MDPPF)₂Ir(acac)(20 nm)/TPBi(10 nm)/Alq₃ (30 nm)/LiF(1 nm)/Al(100 nm)的一系列不同掺杂浓度器件, 器件的发射峰位于558 nm, 最大亮度达到32700 cd·m^-2,最大电流效率44.3 cd·A^-1, 最大功率效率20.7 lm·W^-1.     

Quinolinate zinc complexes as electron transporting layers in organic light-emitting diodes

We describe the synthesis and properties of a bis(8-quinolinolato-N¹,O⁸)-zinc(II) complex (Znq₂) which can be used as an efficient electron transfer layer in organic light-emitting diodes. In this material, the electrons are much more mobile at room temperature than in the well-known tris(8-quinolinolato-N¹,O⁸)-aluminium(III) complex (Alq₃). Preliminary results concerning a series of related compounds are presented.     

Bright White Organic Light-Emitting Diode Mixed Blue and Green Emission

Double-layer and triple-layer organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) were fabricated using a novel star-shaped hexafluorenylbenzene organic material, 1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakis(9,9-diethyl-9H-fluoren-2-yl)benzene (HKEthFLYPh) as an energy transfer layer, N, N′-bis-(1-naphthyl)-N, N′-diphenyl-(1,1′-biphenyl)-4,4′-diamine (NPB) as a hole-transport layer (HTL) and blue emissive layer (EML), and tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum (Alq₃) as an electron-transport layer (ETL) and green light-emitting layer. Bright white light was obtained with a triple-layer device structure of indium-tin-oxide (ITO)/NPB (40 nm)/HKEthFLYPh (10 nm)/Alq₃ (50 nm)/Mg:Ag (200 nm). A maximum luminance of 8523 cd·m⁻² at 15 V and a power efficiency of 1.0 lm·W⁻¹ at 5.5 V were achieved. The Commissions Internationale de L′Eclairage (CIE) coordinates of the device were (0.29, 0.34) at 9 V, which located in white light region. With increasing film thickness of HKEthFLYPh, light emission intensity from NPB increased compared to that of Alq₃.     

Synthesis and characterization of poly(1,4-phenylenevinylene-alt-2,5-thienylenevinylene) derivatives for organic light-emitting diodes

A new series of alternating copolymers composed of 1,4-phenylenevinylene and 2,5-thienylenylvinylene repeating units with various side chain substituents were synthesized via the Heck coupling reaction for use in light-emitting diodes (LEDs). The resulting copolymers were characterized using ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR, DSC, and TGA. These polymers were found to be soluble in common organic solvents and are easily spin-coated onto glass substrates, producing high optical quality thin films without defects. The electro-optical properties of ITO/PEDOT/Polymer/Al devices were investigated using UV-VIS, PL and EL spectroscopy. The turn-on voltages of these devices were found to be in the range 4-16 V, with a maximum brightness of about 2900 cd/m² at 12 V.     

Synthesis by Stille cross-coupling procedure and electrochemical properties of C3-symmetric oligoarylobenzenes

A series of various C3-symmetric molecules were synthesized by Stille cross-coupling procedure. Monomers have been characterized by ¹H NMR, ¹³C NMR. Received oligomers in the process of electropolymerization, containing thienyl, furyl, and EDOT groups provide good conductivity and show stability in common organic solvents such as CHCl₃, toluene, and CH₂Cl₂ and exhibit thermal stability. Electrochemical results suggest that obtained materials can be successfully used in wide scale of organic-electronic devices such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic field-effect transitors (OFETs), and organic solar cells.     

Pseudo-2D Layered Organic-Inorganic Manganese Bromide with a Near-Unity Photoluminescence Quantum Yield for White Light-Emitting Diode and X-Ray Scintillator

Eco-friendly lead-free organic–inorganic manganese halides (OIMHs) have attracted considerable attention in various optoelectronic applications because of their superior optical properties and flexible solution processibility. Herein, we report a novel pseudo-2D layered OIMH (MTP)₂MnBr₄ (MTP: methyltriphenylphosphonium), which exhibits intense green emission under UV/blue or X-ray excitation, with a near-unity photoluminescence quantum yield, high resistance to thermal quenching (I_{150 °C}=84.1 %) and good photochemical stability. These features enable (MTP)₂MnBr₄ as an efficient green phosphor for blue-converted white light-emitting diodes, demonstrating a commercial-level luminous efficiency of 101 lm W⁻¹ and a wide color gamut of 116 % NTSC. Moreover, these (MTP)₂MnBr₄ crystals showcase outstanding X-ray scintillation properties, delivering a light yield of 67000 photon MeV⁻¹, a detection limit of 82.4 nGy s⁻¹, and a competitive spatial resolution of 6.2 lp mm⁻¹ for X-ray imaging. This work presents a new avenue for the exploration of eco-friendly luminescent OIMHs towards multifunctional light-emitting applications.     

Small molecule chemisorption on indium-tin oxide surfaces: enhancing probe molecule electron-transfer rates and the performance of organic light-emitting diodes

Indium-tin oxide (ITO) surfaces have been modified by chemisorption of carboxylic acid functionalized small molecules: ferrocene dicarboxylic acid (1), 3-thiophene acetic acid (2), and 6-{4-[{4'-[[4-(5-carboxy-pentyloxy)-phenyl]-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-amino]-biphenyl-4-yl}-(4-methoxy-phenyl)-amino]-phenoxy}-hexanoic acid (p-OMe)2-TPD-(C5-COOH)2) (3). Voltammetrically determined surface coverages of 1-3 increased in two stages, the first stage completing in minutes, the latter stage taking several hours. Electron-transfer rate coefficients, kS, for the probe molecule ferrocene in acetonitrile likewise increased in two stages with increasing surface coverages of 1, 2, and 3. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of In2O3 powders, exposed for long periods to ethanol solutions of each modifier, confirmed the formation of indium oxalate-like surface species. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy of carboxy-terminated alkanethiol-modified gold surfaces, exposed to these same In2O3(powder)/small molecule modifier solutions, showed the capture of trace levels of indium as a result of the chemisorption of these small molecules, suggesting that slow etching of the ITO surface also occurs during the chemisorption event. Conventional aluminum quinolate/bis-triarylamine organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) created on ITO surfaces modified with 1, 2, and 3, with and without an overlayer of PEDOT:PSS (a poly(thiophene)/poly(stryenesulfonate) ITO modifier), showed leakage currents lowered by several orders of magnitude and an increase in OLED device efficiency.     

Conjugated Polymers for Optoelectronic Applications

Novel conjugated polymers containing carbazole, phenothiazine or triphenylamine units in the main chain were designed and synthesized via Wittig, Knovenagel or Heck condensations respectively. A majority of them have good solubility in common organic solvents, high thermal stability and good hole-injection ability. Their diluted solutions in THF showed strong absorption with the absorption maximum in the range of 294∼470 nm and the optic band gaps located in the range of 1.90∼2.75 eV. When irradiated by ultraviolet or visible light, the diluted solutions in THF of the polymers emitted light from purple to yellow color with the emission maximum in the range of 347∼597 nm and the full width at half maximum located in the range of 59∼119 nm. Several polymeric light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) devices were fabricated using these polymers as light-emitting materials, and a double-layer device composed of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/PQTN/Mg:Ag showed a good performance, in which the maximum brightness was measured as 2434.0 cd/m² under a 11.0 V forward bias voltage. Photovoltaic devices were also investigated using these polymers as an active layer, and a device composed of ITO/PNB/PTCDI-C₁₃/Al showed a good performance, which was estimated to have external quantum efficiency at around 1% at 330 nm. From these preliminary experimental results, we may infer that these polymers are good light-emitting materials for PLEDs; while for photovoltaic applications, their absorption spectra need to be further improved to match the solar illumination.     

Dual-Shelled RbLi(Li3SiO4)2:Eu2+@Al2O3@ODTMS Phosphor as a Stable Green Emitter for High-Power LED Backlights

The stability of luminescent materials is a key factor for the practical application in white light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Poor chemical stability of narrow-band green-emitting RbLi(Li₃SiO₄)₂:Eu²⁺ (RLSO:Eu²⁺) phosphor hinders their further commercialization even if they have excellent stability against thermal quenching. Herein, we propose an efficient protection scheme by combining the surface coating of amorphous Al₂O₃ and hydrophobic modification by octadecyltrimethoxysilane (ODTMS) to construct the moisture-resistant dual-shelled RLSO:Eu²⁺@Al₂O₃@ODTMS composite. The growth mechanisms of both the Al₂O₃ inorganic layer and the silane organic layer on the phosphor surface are investigated. The results remarkably improve the water-stability of this narrow-band green emitter. The evaluation of the white LED by employing this composite as the green component demonstrates that RLSO:Eu²⁺@Al₂O₃@ODTMS is a promising candidate for the high-performance display backlights, and this dual-shelled strategy provides an alternative method to improve the moisture-resistant property of humidity-sensitive phosphors.     

Charge injection and photooxidation of single conjugated polymer molecules

The complex, coupled mechanisms of charge transfer and oxidative damage in organic electronic devices (such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), solar cells, etc.) have been elucidated by a new technique that combines single-molecule spectroscopy with charge injection from a metal electrode. The experiments employed a sandwich device architecture (Au/TPD/MEH-PPV:PMMA/SiO2/ITO), essentially a modified OLED with a charge-blocking layer (SiO2) to suppress charge injection at the ITO electrode. The fluorescence (photoluminescence) of isolated MEH-PPV conjugated polymer molecules imbedded in the device was observed to exhibit diverse time- and electrical bias-dependent effects. These include: (i) fluorescence quenching due to interactions between MEH-PPV and holes in the TPD hole-transport layer; (ii) fluorescence quenching, or "photobleaching", due to chemical defects at MEH-PPV generated by photooxidation; and (iii) a novel process, reductive "repair" of the oxidative chemical defects by externally injected carriers. These results demonstrate a very different mechanism for photobleaching of organic conjugated materials than is generally assumed to operate and, furthermore, suggest an intimate relationship among photobleaching, charge transport, and persistent photoconductivity in organic materials.     

Surface treatment and characterization of ITO thin films using atmospheric pressure plasma for organic light emitting diodes

Ar atmospheric pressure plasma (APP) was used to treat indium-tin-oxide (ITO). The plasma conditions were varied to treat the ITO surface, e.g., plasma treatment time, RF power, flow rate, and the plasma outlet-to-sample distance. The plasma effectiveness was measured by the contact angle. The change in the surface energy calculated with the Owens-Wendt method mainly arises from the polar component. The dynamic contact angle measurements show that APP-treated surface showed considerably lower hysteresis in the water and ethylene glycol but there was no change in hysteresis in methylene iodide compared with the untreated ITO. Atomic force microscopy showed that the Ar APP-treated surface sharply decreased the surface roughness and showed a similar morphology as the untreated ITO. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy showed that the Ar APP treatment not only effectively removed carbon contamination from the surface but also introduced oxygen. Therefore, it is believed that the APP treatment modifies the physico-chemical properties of ITO, which can in turn improve the performance of the organic light-emitting diodes.     

Improving the adhesion of polymethacrylate thin films onto indium tin oxide electrodes using a silane-based “Molecular Adhesive”

Indium tin oxide (ITO) is the most commonly used transparent conducting substance. It has been used in numerous applications such as light-emitting diodes. In most applications and studies, the ITO surface is further coated with additional layers. The interface between the ITO and the coating is of utmost importance since it affects the physical and chemical properties of the final device. Improving the adhesion between ITO and a coating layer can be achieved by applying a “molecular adhesive” as an inter-phasing molecular layer. In this study, we used 3-(trimethoxysilyl)propyl methacrylate as a “molecule adhesive” for better connection between ITO and a polymethacrylate layer. The samples were studied by electrochemistry, contact angle goniometry, atomic force microscopy, and nano scratch microscopy. These studies clearly show that a simple silanization process formed a thin molecular adhesive layer, which did not influence the physical and chemical properties of the final coated electrode and at the same time increased significantly the adhesion between the ITO and the polymethacrylate coating.

     

Two novel triphenylamine-substituted poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivatives: synthesis, photo- and electroluminescent properties

Two novel triphenylamine-substituted poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivatives, P1 and P2, have been successfully synthesized through the Witting-Horner reaction. The structures and properties of the monomers and the resulting polymers were characterized by using ¹H NMR, FT-IR, GPC, TGA, UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, cyclic voltammetry (CV) and electroluminescence (EL) spectroscopy. The obtained polymers exhibited good thermal stability and high photoluminescence quantum yield (0.42-0.90). The polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs) with the configuration of ITO/PEDOT/polymers/Ca/Al were fabricated. The single-layer device based on P1 and P2 emitted stable blue and yellow light with the turn-on voltage of 4 and 6 V, respectively. The maximum luminance of 3003 cd/m² at 10 V was obtained for device P2.     

Effect of a dipolar self-assembly monolayer formation on indium-tin oxide on the performance of single-layer polymer-based light-emitting diodes

We report on the use of indium-tin oxide surface modification, by grafting of highly polar p-disubstituted benzenes, in the fabrication of light-emitting diodes. The polar compounds possess COCl or SO₂Cl grafting groups and CF₃ or NO₂ as highly electronegative groups, leading to the formation of a dipolar monolayer, which brings about an increase in ITO work function, thereby reducing the barrier for hole injection into luminescent polymers. We observe that the effect of this self-assembled monolayer, in terms of light-onset voltage, efficiency and luminance, is at least comparable to the use of a hole injection layer of doped poly[(3,4-ethylenedioxy)thiophene] for LEDs using poly({2-[(2-ethylhexyl)oxy]-5-methoxy-1,4-phenylene}vinylene) (MEH-PPV) and polyfluorene blends as active layers.     

Solvent-Free Synthesis of Core-Functionalised Naphthalene Diimides by Using a Vibratory Ball Mill: Suzuki,Sonogashira and Buchwald–Hartwig Reactions

Solvent-free synthesis by using a vibratory ball mill (VBM) offers the chance to access new chemical reactivity, whilst reducing solvent waste and minimising reaction times. Herein, we report the core functionalisation of N,N’-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-2,6-dibromo-1,4,5,8-naphthalenetetracarboxylic acid (Br₂-NDI) by using Suzuki, Sonogashira and Buchwald–Hartwig coupling reactions. The products of these reactions are important building blocks in many areas of organic electronics including organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and organic photovoltaic cells (OPVCs). The reactions proceed in as little as 1 h, use commercially available palladium sources (frequently Pd(OAc)₂) and are tolerant to air and atmospheric moisture. Furthermore, the real-world potential of this green VBM protocol is demonstrated by the double Suzuki coupling of a monobromo(NDI) residue to a bis(thiophene) pinacol ester. The resulting dimeric NDI species has been demonstrated to behave as an electron acceptor in functioning OPVCs.