Yu-Lin Chen

Deep-blue emitting pyrene–benzimidazole conjugates for solution processed organic light-emitting diodes

New pyrene–benzimidazole conjugates containing different π-linkers such as phenyl, thiophene and triarylamine were synthesized and characterized by photophysical, electrochemical, thermal and electroluminescence studies. Triarylamine-containing dyes displayed red-shifted absorption spectra and positive solvatochromism in emission spectra due to the pronounced intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) from the triarylamine donor to pyrene acceptor in the excited state. All derivatives were used as emitting dopants in multilayered organic light-emitting diodes exhibiting deep blue electroluminescence. The solution processed device fabricated by utilizing 1-phenyl-2-(pyren-1-yl)-1H-benzo[d]imidazole as an emitter displayed promising deep blue emission characteristics with a maximum luminance of 714 cd m−2, external quantum efficiency of 1.5%, CIE coordinates of (0.16, 0.05) at 100 cd m−2 and 100% color saturation.

Highly efficient green organic light emitting diode with a novel solution processable iridium complex emitter

We demonstrate a high-efficiency green organic light-emitting diode (OLED) with a solution-processed emissive layer composed of a novel green light emitting iridium complex, bis [5-methyl-8-trifluoromethyl-5H-benzo(c) (1,5)naphthyridin-6-one]iridium(pyrazinecarboxylate). By coupling with a proper host, the green device shows at 1000 cd m−2 an external quantum efficiency of 23.8%, current efficiency of 95.6 cd A−1, and efficacy of 60.8 lm W−1, the highest among all reported OLEDs with a solution-processed emissive layer. The high efficiency may be attributed to the host possessing a zero electron injection barrier, resulting in a more balanced carrier-injection.

High efficiency yellow organic light-emitting diodes with a solution-processed molecular host-based emissive layer

Highly efficient yellow organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) with a solution-process feasible emissive layer were fabricated by simply using molecular hosts doped with an iridium-complex based yellow emitter. The best yellow OLED device studied here showed for example, at 100 cd m−2, a power efficiency of 32 lm W−1, a 113% improvement compared with the prior record of 15 lm W−1 based on the same emitter with a polymeric host. The marked efficiency improvement may be attributed to the device being composed of an electron-injection-barrier free architecture, a device structure that led the excitons to generate preferably on the host to enable the efficiency-effective host-to-guest energy transfer to occur and the employed molecular host that exhibited a good host-to-guest energy transfer. The efficiencies were further improved to 53, 39 and 14 lm W−1 at 100, 1000 and 10 000 cd m−2, respectively, with the use of a micro-lens. This study also demonstrates the possibility of achieving relatively high device efficiency for wet-processed OLED devices via balancing the injection of carriers with commercially available OLED materials and limited designs in device structure.

The use of a polarity matching and high-energy exciton generating host in fabricating efficient purplish-blue OLEDs from a sky-blue emitter

We reveal in this communication a new finding regarding the use of a sky-blue emitter to generate purplish-blue emission from organic light emitting diodes (OLEDs) with a polarity matching and high-energy exciton generating host. The resulting device exhibits CIExy coordinates of (0.155, 0.063) and a 3.5% external quantum efficiency, with a 1.2 lm W−1 power efficiency at 100 cd m−2 as a sky-blue emitter, 1-((9,9-diethyl-9H-fluoren-2-yl)ethynyl)pyrene with CIExy of (0.190, 0.241) is doped into a host of 4,4′-bis(9-carbazolyl)-biphenyl, for example. The resulting purplish-blue emission enables a greater than 100% color saturation. The extraordinarily marked blue-shift may result from a low doping concentration to prevent bathochromic shift due to emitter segregation, a polarity matching host to further disperse the emitter, and an efficient host and guest energy level pairing that enables excitons to be generated on the host to trigger short wavelength emission. Furthermore, the host is capable of generating excitons with higher energy to facilitate the triggering of emission with a shorter wavelength. The high efficiency may be attributed to the low doping concentration preventing efficiency roll-off caused by concentration-quenching, the excitons generated on the host facilitating the occurrence of the effective host-to-guest energy transfer, and the employed host possessing an effective host-to-guest energy transfer effect. Notably, the new approach also works for other light-blue emitters in yielding a highly desirable deep-blue light, provided their molecular structure is free of steric hindrance.