Dieter Neher

Blue polymer electrophosphorescent devices with different electron-transporting oxadiazoles

We report that the performances of blue polymer electrophosphorescent devices are crucially depending on the choice of the electron transporting material incorporated into the emissive layer. Devices with 1,3-bis[(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxidiazolyl]phenylene (OXD-7) doped at ∼40wt% into a poly(vinylcarbazole) matrix exhibited significantly higher efficiencies than those with 2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1,3,4-oxadiazole (PBD), yielding maximum luminous and power efficiency values of 18.2 Cd∕A and 8.8 lm∕W, respectively. Time resolved photoluminescence measurements revealed a long lifetime phosphorescence component in layers with PBD, which we assign to significant triplet harvesting by this electron-transporting component.

Photovoltaic properties and exciplex emission of polyphenylenevinylene-based blend solar cells

By studying the photoluminescence emission and photovoltaic properties of blends of polyphenylenevinylene (PPV)-based electron donating and accepting polymers, the authors observed a strict anticorrelation between relative exciplex emission in the solid state and photovoltaic efficiency of corresponding blend devices. Comparative studies on defined bilayer geometries showed that the overall shape of the current-voltage characteristics under illumination is independent of device geometry and layer thickness. Consequently, they conclude that the photocurrent in PPV-based blends is mainly determined by the efficiency to form free carriers rather than by free carrier recombination.

Swivel-cruciform oligothiophene dimers

Synthesis and electronic properties of three swivel-cruciform oligothiophene dimers—bis(terthiophene) (BT3), bis(pentathiophene) (BT5) and bis(heptathiophene) (BT7)—with increased solubility in organic solvents are reported. We obtained a field-effect mobility of 3.7 × 10−5 cm2 V−1 s−1 and a current on/off ratio of >103 for a solution-processed OFET device with dimer BT5 as p-type semiconductor.

Reliable electron-only devices and electron transport in n-type polymers

Current-voltage analysis of single-carrier transport is a popular method for the determination of charge carrier mobilities in organic semiconductors. Although in widespread use for the analysis of hole transport, only a few reports can be found where the method was applied to electron transport. Here, we summarize the experimental difficulties related to the metal electrode leakage currents and nonlinear differential resistance (NDR) effects and explain their origin. We present a modified preparation technique for the metal electrodes and show that it significantly increases the reliability of such measurements. It allows to produce test devices with low leakage currents and without NDR even for thin organic layers. Metal oxides were often discussed as a possible cause of NDR. Our measurements on forcibly oxidized metal electrodes demonstrate that oxide layers are not exclusively responsible for NDR effects. We present electron transport data for two electron-conducting polymers often applied in all-polymer solar cells for a large variety of layer thicknesses and temperatures. The results can be explained by established exponential trapping models.

Poly(N-vinylcarbazole) doped with a pyrazoloquinoline dye: A deep blue light-emitting composite for light-emitting diode applications

We investigated the spectral properties of light-emitting diodes based on a deep blue-emitting pyrazoloquinoline dye doped into a poly(N-vinylcarbazole)-based matrix. Even though the electroluminescence (EL) of the host is redshifted and broadened with respect to the emission of the dye, the EL spectrum becomes fully dominated by the dye emission at concentrations of ca. 2wt%. This is attributed to a competition of exciplex formation on the matrix and exciton formation on the dye.

Heterojunction topology versus fill factor correlations in novel hybrid small-molecular/polymeric solar cells

The authors present organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices comprising a small molecule electron acceptor based on 2-vinyl-4,5-dicyanoimidazole (Vinazene) and a soluble poly(p-phenylenevinylene) derivative as the electron donor. A strong dependence of the fill factor (FF) and the external quantum efficiency [incident photons converted to electrons (IPCE)] on the heterojunction topology is observed. As-prepared blends provided relatively low FF and IPCE values of 26% and 4.5%, respectively, which are attributed to significant recombination of geminate pairs and free carriers in a highly intermixed blend morphology. Going to an all-solution processed bilayer device, the FF and IPCE dramatically increased to 43% and 27%, respectively. The FF increases further to 57% in devices comprising thermally deposited Vinazene layers where there is virtually no interpenetration at the donor/acceptor interface. This very high FF is comparable to values reported for OPV using fullerenes as the electron acceptor. Furthermore, the rather low electron affinity of Vinazene compound near 3.5 eV enabled a technologically important open circuit voltage (V(oc)) of 1.0 V.

Charge carrier generation and electron blocking at interlayers in polymer solar cells

The authors show that an electron-donating polymer interlayer and a spin coated layer of an electron-accepting polymer form a defined polymer-polymer heterojunction. Directional photoinduced charge transfer and efficient electron blocking at this heterojunction is clearly seen in Kelvin probe measurements. The photocurrent characteristics of this well-defined bilayer structure as well as of the respective blend device can be consistently fitted by models taking into account only the field dependence of charge carrier generation. Apparently, the efficiency to form free carriers is the determining process in both types of polymer-polymer solar cell structures.

Molecular tracer diffusion in thin azobenzene polymer layers

Translational diffusion of fluorescent tracer molecules in azobenzene polymer layers is studied at different temperatures and under illumination using the method of fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. Diffusion is clearly observed in the dark above the glass transition temperature, while homogeneous illumination at 488nm and 100mW∕cm2 does not cause any detectable diffusion of the dye molecules within azobenzene layers. This implies that the viscosity of azobenzene layers remains nearly unchanged under illumination with visible light in the absence of internal or external forces.

Energy and charge transfer in blends of dendronized perylenes with polyfluorene.

Two generations of polyphenylene dendrimers with a perylene diimide core are compared with a nondendronized tetraphenoxyperylene diimide model compound regarding their application in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Single layer devices with blends of the first and second generation dendrimers in polyfluorene are investigated as active layers in OLEDs, and the effect of dendronization on the emission color and electroluminescence intensity is studied. In photoluminescence, higher degrees of dendronization lead to a reduction in Forster transfer from the polyfluorene host to the perylene, resulting in a larger contribution of the blue host emission in the photoluminescence spectra. In electroluminescence, the dopants appear to act as active traps for electrons, resulting in a predominant generation of excitons on the dye. This gives rise to a remarkably stronger contribution of red emission in electroluminescence than in photoluminescence where energy is exchanged exclusively via Forster transfer. The pronounced color change from red to blue with higher degrees of dendronization and larger driving voltages is explained by the competition of the recombination of free electrons with holes and trapping of electrons by the emitting guest.

Semiconducting polyfluorenes with electrophosphorescent on-chain platinum-salen chromophores

The synthesis of statistical fluorene-type copolymers with on-chain Pt-salen phosphorescent units and their use in electrophosphorescent OLEDs is reported.