Solution-Processed Efficient Blue Phosphorescent Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (PHOLEDs) Enabled by Hole-Transport Material Incorporated Single Emission Layer

• Main Author: Taeshik Earmme
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-01-01
• Series: Materials
• Subjects: organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs); solution-processing; hole-transport materials; fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1944/14/3/554

Solution-processed blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PHOLEDs) based on a single emission layer with small-molecule hole-transport materials (HTMs) are demonstrated. Various HTMs have been readily incorporated by solution-processing to enhance hole-transport properties of the polymer-based emission layer. Poly(<i>N</i>-vinylcarbazole) (PVK)-based blue emission layer with iridium(III) bis(4,6-(di-fluorophenyl)pyridinato-<i>N</i>,C2′)picolinate (FIrpic) triplet emitter blended with solution-processed 1,1-bis[(di-4-tolylamino)phenyl]cyclohexane (TAPC) gave luminous efficiency of 21.1 cd/A at a brightness of 6220 cd/m² with an external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 10.6%. Blue PHOLEDs with solution-incorporated HTMs turned out to be 50% more efficient compared to the reference device without HTMs. The high hole mobility, high triplet energy of HTM, and favorable energy transfer between HTM blended PVK host and FIrpic blue dopant were found to be important factors for achieving high device performance. The results are instructive to design and/or select proper hole-transport materials in solution-processed single emission layer.