Shouzhen Yue

Short-Axis Substitution Approach Selectively Optimizes Electrical Properties of Dibenzothiophene-Based Phosphine Oxide Hosts

Two dibenzothiophene (DBT)-based phosphine oxide hosts, named 4-diphenylphosphoryl dibenzothiophene (DBTSPO) and 4,6-bis(diphenylphosphoryl) dibenzothiophene (DBTDPO), were prepared by short-axis substitution with the aim to selectively adjust electrical properties. The combined effects of short-axis substitution and the involvement of electron-donating S atom in conjugation effectively suppress the influence of electron-withdrawing diphenylphosphine oxide (DPPO) moieties on the frontier molecular orbitals and the optical properties. Therefore, DBTSPO and DBTDPO have the nearly same hole injection ability and the excited energy levels, while more electron-transporting DPPOs and the symmetrical configuration endow DBTDPO with enhanced electron-injecting/transporting ability. As the result, on the basis of this short-axis substitution effect, the selective adjustment of electrical properties was successfully realized. With the high first triplet energy level (T(1)) of 2.90 eV, the suitable energy levels of the highest occupied molecular orbital and the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital of -6.05 and -2.50 eV and the improved carrier-transporting ability, DBTDPO supported its blue- and white-emitting phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes as the best low-voltage-driving devices reported so far with the lowest driving voltages of 2.4 V for onset and <3.2 V at 1000 cd m(-2) (for indoor lighting) accompanied with the high efficiencies of >30 lm W(-1) and excellent efficiency stability.

Spiro[fluorene-9,9′-xanthene]-based universal hosts for understanding structure–property relationships in RGB and white PhOLEDs

Ingenious construction of state-of-the-art models of electrophosphorescent hosts for uncovering the deep role of different molecular modifications in PhOLEDs performances is crucial for rational cumulative improvements of device efficiency and for accelerating their commercialization. A series of conjugation-interrupted spiro[fluorene-9,9′-xanthene](SFX)/9-arylfluorenes (AFs) hybrid host materials have been designed and synthesized by concise two-step reactions, and have been demonstrated to serve as universal hosts for low voltage blue, green, red and single-emitting layer white PhOLEDs. By varying the electronegativity and position of the bulky AF substitutes, two independent, selective methods for fine tuning frontier molecular orbital energy levels without affecting the high triplet energy level (T1) have been realized. This offers either facilitated hole- or electron-injection/blocking without influencing the optical properties, which can explain the performance of the corresponding RGB PhOLEDs. This investigation provides good guidance for the future rational design of high-performance PhOLED hosts by accumulative structural modifications.

Low driving voltage blue, green, yellow, red and white organic light-emitting diodes with a simply double light-emitting structure

Low driving voltage blue, green, yellow, red and white phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with a common simply double emitting layer (D-EML) structure are investigated. Our OLEDs without any out-coupling schemes as well as n-doping strategies show low driving voltage, e.g. < 2.4 V for onset and < 3 V for 1000 cd/m2, and high efficiency of 32.5 lm/W (13.3%), 58.8 lm/W (14.3%), 55.1 lm/W (14.6%), 24.9 lm/W (13.7%) and 45.1 lm/W (13.5%) for blue, green, yellow, red and white OLED, respectively. This work demonstrates that the low driving voltages and high efficiencies can be simultaneously realized with a common simply D-EML structure.

Optical simulation and optimization of weak-microcavity tandem white organic light-emitting diodes

We systematically studied the influence of weak microcavity effects on the optical properties of tandem white organic light-emitting diodes (WOLEDs) using optical simulation. Based on the simulation results, an image processing method is developed and verified for rational design of high-performance tandem WOLEDs. The results indicate that low operating voltage, good color rendering index, and angular emission properties can be simultaneously obtained in tandem WOLEDs by engineering the device structure. This study provides promising direction for the development of high-performance tandem WOLEDs.

Planar heterojunction organic photovoltaic cells based on tetramethyl substituted copper(II) phthalocyanine treated with thermal annealing

The fabrication of planar heterojunction (PHJ) organic photovoltaic (OPV) cells using tetramethyl substituted copper(II) phthalocyanine (CuMePc) as an electron donor and C60 as an acceptor is described. The impact of post-fabrication thermal annealing upon the performance of these cells has been examined. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) images and UV?visible absorption spectra of CuMePc thin films revealed crystallization of CuMePc induced by thermal annealing at 190??C. The crystallized CuMePc films accounted for improved hole mobility, broadened absorption spectrum, and increased donor/acceptor interface in the as-fabricated cells after thermal annealing. AFM images also revealed that the surface of MoO3 film was smooth and close-packed after thermal annealing, which efficiently blocked the leakage current in the annealed cells, leading to dramatic improvement of performance for the PHJ cells using CuMePc as the electron donor and MoO3 or V2O5 as the anode buffer layer. The power conversion efficiency of the thermal-annealed PHJ cell with a configuration of ITO/MoO3/CuMePc/C60/Bathocuproine/Al was higher than that of the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) cell fabricated by co-depositing CuMePc and C60. It was mainly because the isolated clusters of CuMePc and/or C60 molecules formed during the fabrication of the BHJ cell was avoided in the PHJ cell.

Observation of hole injection boost via two parallel paths in Pentacene thin-film transistors by employing Pentacene: 4, 4″-tris(3-methylphenylphenylamino) triphenylamine: MoO3 buffer layer

Pentacene organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs) were prepared by introducing 4, 4″-tris(3-methylphenylphenylamino) triphenylamine (m-MTDATA): MoO3, Pentacene: MoO3, and Pentacene: m-MTDATA: MoO3 as buffer layers. These OTFTs all showed significant performance improvement comparing to the reference device. Significantly, we observe that the device employing Pentacene: m-MTDATA: MoO3 buffer layer can both take advantage of charge transfer complexes formed in the m-MTDATA: MoO3 device and suitable energy level alignment existed in the Pentacene: MoO3 device. These two parallel paths led to a high mobility, low threshold voltage, and contact resistance of 0.72 cm2/V s, −13.4 V, and 0.83 kΩ at Vds = − 100 V. This work enriches the understanding of MoO3 doped organic materials for applications in OTFTs.