Organic Electroluminescent Devices

Electrically driven photon antibunching from a single molecule at room temperature

Single-photon emitters have been considered for applications in quantum information processing, quantum cryptography and metrology. For the sake of integration and to provide an electron photon interface, it is of great interest to stimulate single-photon emission by electrical excitation as demonstrated for quantum dots. Because of low exciton binding energies, it has so far not been possible to detect sub-Poissonian photon statistics of electrically driven quantum dots at room temperature. However, organic molecules possess exciton binding energies on the order of 1eV, thereby facilitating the development of an electrically driven single-photon source at room temperature in a solid-state matrix. Here we demonstrate electroluminescence of single, electrically driven molecules at room temperature. By careful choice of the molecular emitter, as well as fabrication of a specially designed organic light-emitting diode structure, we were able to achieve stable single-molecule emission and detect sub-Poissonian photon statistics.

Separated carbon nanotube macroelectronics for active matrix organic light-emitting diode displays

Active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) display holds great potential for the next generation visual technologies due to its high light efficiency, flexibility, lightweight, and low-temperature processing. However, suitable thin-film transistors (TFTs) are required to realize the advantages of AMOLED. Preseparated, semiconducting enriched carbon nanotubes are excellent candidates for this purpose because of their excellent mobility, high percentage of semiconducting nanotubes, and room-temperature processing compatibility. Here we report, for the first time, the demonstration of AMOLED displays driven by separated nanotube thin-film transistors (SN-TFTs) including key technology components, such as large-scale high-yield fabrication of devices with superior performance, carbon nanotube film density optimization, bilayer gate dielectric for improved substrate adhesion to the deposited nanotube film, and the demonstration of monolithically integrated AMOLED display elements with 500 pixels driven by 1000 SN-TFTs. Our approach can serve as the critical foundation for future nanotube-based thin-film display electronics.

Recent advances in conjugated polymers for light emitting devices

A recent advance in the field of light emitting polymers has been the discovery of electroluminescent conjugated polymers, that is, kind of fluorescent polymers that emit light when excited by the flow of an electric current. These new generation fluorescent materials may now challenge the domination by inorganic semiconductor materials of the commercial market in light-emitting devices such as light-emitting diodes (LED) and polymer laser devices. This review provides information on unique properties of conjugated polymers and how they have been optimized to generate these properties. The review is organized in three sections focusing on the major advances in light emitting materials, recent literature survey and understanding the desirable properties as well as modern solid state lighting and displays. Recently, developed conjugated polymers are also functioning as roll-up displays for computers and mobile phones, flexible solar panels for power portable equipment as well as organic light emitting diodes in displays, in which television screens, luminous traffic, information signs, and light-emitting wallpaper in homes are also expected to broaden the use of conjugated polymers as light emitting polymers. The purpose of this review paper is to examine conjugated polymers in light emitting diodes (LEDs) in addition to organic solid state laser. Furthermore, since conjugated polymers have been approved as light-emitting organic materials similar to inorganic semiconductors, it is clear to motivate these organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) and organic lasers for modern lighting in terms of energy saving ability. In addition, future aspects of conjugated polymers in LEDs were also highlighted in this review.

Recoverable Photodegradation of Light-Emitting Polymers

The photodegradation of light-emitting polymers was studied by measuring the decay of the photoluminescence with exposure time to He-Cd laser beam at room temperature. It was found that the photoluminescence intensity decreases very fast initially, and then tends to saturate on the order of several tens of minutes. More interestingly, it was found that the degradation induced by laser beam can be self-healed. By stopping the exposure of the sample to the laser beam, the photoluminescence intensity recovers gradually without any treatment.

Polymeric Zinc-Bisquinoline Based Self-Assembled Light Emitting Diodes

Bifunctional 8,8'-dihydroxy-5,5'-biquinoline (bisquinoline) is reactively self-assembled with diethyl zinc to form a linear coordination polymer. The potential of this method to produce insoluble and intractable structures of controllable supramolecular architecture suitable for semiconducting applications has stimulated an in-depth investigation of the growth mechanism of these polymeric chelates. These films were characterized by FTIR, UV/VIS and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The film growth on glass or indium-tin oxide (ITO) coated substrates was monitored by UV/VIS spectroscopy and ellipsometry. FTIR spectroscopy indicates that the self-assembled films are polymeric in nature. Single layer light emitting diodes exhibited an orange electroluminescence, consistent with the corresponding photoluminescence spectrum

Long-Term Degradation Mechanism of Organic Light Emitting Devices Based on Small Molecules

The intrinsic degradation of tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (AlQ3)-based organic light emitting devices, that leads to the long-term decrease in the electroluminescence efficiency of the devices operated under constant current conditions, is studied. The injection of holes in A1Q3 is found to be the main factor responsible for device degradation. OLEDs with dual HTLs in different arrangements are also presented to demonstrate the proposed degradation mechanism. The role of various approaches to increase OLED lifetime, such as, doping the hole transport layer, introducing a buffer layer at the hole-injecting contact, or using a mixed emitting layer of hole and electron transporting molecules, is explained.

Electropolymerized molecularly imprinted polymer films of a bis-terthiophene dendron: folic acid quartz crystal microbalance sensing

A folic acid sensor was prepared via an electropolymerized molecularly imprinted polymer (E-MIP) film of a bis-terthiophene dendron on a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The cyclic voltammetry (CV) electrodeposition of the imprinted polymer film was monitored by electrochemical QCM or E-QCM, enabling in situ monitoring and characterization of E-MIP film formation and the viscoelastic behavior of the film. A key component of the E-MIP process is the use of a bifunctional monomer design to precomplex with the template and function as a cross-linker. The complex was electropolymerized and cross-linked by CV to form a polythiophene matrix. Stable cavities were formed that specifically fit the size and shape of the folic acid template. The same substrate surface was used for folic acid sensing. The predicted geometry of the 1:2 folic acid/terthiophene complex was obtained through semiempirical AM1 quantum calculations. The analytical performance, expressed through the figures of merit, of the sensor in aqueous solutions of the analyte was investigated. A relatively good linearity, R(2) = 0.985, was obtained within the concentration range 0-100 μM folic acid. The detection limit was found to be equal to 15.4 μM (6.8 μg). The relative cross selectivity of the folic acid imprinted polymer against the three molecules follows this trend: pteroic acid (= 50%) > caffeine (= 41%) > theophylline (= 6%). The potential and limitations of the E-MIP method were also discussed.

Field and temperature dependence of the small polaron hopping electrical conductivity in 1D disordered systems

We investigate the effect of the electric field and the temperature on the electrical conductivity of one-dimensional disordered systems due to phonon assisted hopping of small polarons. The microscopic transport mechanism is treated within the framework of the generalized molecular crystal model and the Kubo formula, while percolation theoretical arguments lead to analytical expressions for the macroscopic behavior of the electrical conductivity at high (multi-phonon assisted hopping) and low (few-phonon assisted hopping) temperatures under the influence of moderate electric fields. The theoretical results are successfully applied to recent experimental findings for a wide temperature range and from low up to moderate electric fields. Comparison is made with other theories.

Spectroscopic study of fluorescent naphthoylenebenzimidazole derivatives in Langmuir-Blodgett films: self-aggregates formation

Some derivatives of naphthoylenebenzimidazole as well as their mixtures with arachidic acid have been incorporated in Langmuir and Langmuir-Blodgett films. Surface pressure versus mean molecular area isotherms for Langmuir films were recorded and the organization of molecules at the air-water interface has been estimated. Absorption spectra in situ for Langmuir films and both absorption and fluorescence spectra for LB films have been recorded. The results obtained from spectroscopic studies have led to conclusions about formation of self-aggregates by dye molecules at interfaces. In the ground electronic state some fraction of the I- and J-type aggregates have been created, whereas in the excited state the creation of genuine excimers has been observed.