Polyaniline-based conducting polymer compositions with a high work function for hole-injection layers in organic light-emitting diodes: formation of ohmic contacts.

It is a great challenge to develop solution-processed, polymeric hole-injection layers (HILs) that perform better than small molecular layers for realizing high-performance small-molecule organic light-emitting diodes (SM-OLEDs). We have greatly improved the injection efficiency and the current efficiency of SM-OLEDs by introducing conducting polymer compositions composed of polyaniline doped with polystyrene sulfonate and perfluorinated ionomer (PFI) as the HIL. During single spin-coating of conducting polymer compositions, the PFI layer was self-organized at the surface and greatly increased the film work function. It enhanced hole-injection efficiency and current efficiency by introducing a nearly ohmic contact and improving electron blocking. Our results demonstrate that solution-processed polyaniline HILs with tunable work functions are good candidates for reducing process costs and improving OLED performance.

Study on a set of bis-cyclometalated Ir(III) complexes with a common ancillary ligand.

Bis-cyclometalated iridium(III) complexes [Ir(F2ppy)2ZN] (FZN), [Ir(F2CNppy)2ZN] (FCZN), [Ir(DMAF2ppy)2ZN] (FDZN) and [Ir(MeOF2ppy)2ZN] (MeOFZN) (F2ppy = 4',6'-difluoro-2-phenylpyridinate, F2CNppy = 5-cyano-4',6'-difluoro-2-phenylpyridinate, DMAF2ppy = 4',6'-difluoro-4-dimethylamino-2-phenylpyridinate, MeOF2ppy = 4',6'-difluoro-4-methyl-2-phenylpyridinate and ZN = 3,5-dimethylpyrazole-N-carboxamide) emitting in the sky blue region were synthesized. We studied the effect of the ancillary ligand ZN and the substituents on the cyclometalating ligands on the crystal structures, photophysical and electrochemical properties and the frontier orbitals. Density functional theory (DFT) calculation results indicate that in FCZN and FDZN the cyclometalating ligands show negligible participation in the HOMO, the ancillary ligand ZN being the main participant along with the Ir(III) d-orbitals. MeOFZN exhibits the maximum photoluminescence quantum efficiency and radiative emission rates along with the dominant low frequency metal-ligand vibrations and maximum reorganization energy in the excited state. All the substituted complexes show more polar characteristics than FZN, FCZN possessing the highest dipole moment among the complexes. The performances of the solution-synthesised organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) of FZN, FCZN and FDZN doped in a blend of mCP (m-bis(N-carbazolylbenzene)) and polystyrene are studied.