Diimide nanoclusters play hole trapping and electron injection roles in organic light-emitting devices

Nanoscale. 2011 Mar;3(3):1073-7. doi: 10.1039/c0nr00496k. Epub 2010 Dec 20.

Abstract

We report thermally stable diimide nanoclusters that could potentially replace the conventional thick electron transport layer (ETL) in organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs). Bis-[1,10]phenanthrolin-5-yl-bicyclo[2.2.2]oct-7-ene-2,3,5,6-tetracarboxylic diimide (Bphen-BCDI) was synthesized from the corresponding dianhydride and amine moieties, and its purified product exhibited a high glass transition temperature (232 °C) and a wide band gap (3.8 eV). The Bphen-BCDI subnanolayers deposited on substrates were found to form organic nanoclusters, not a conventional layer. The OLED made with a subnanolayer of Bphen-BCDI nanoclusters, instead of a conventional ETL, showed greatly improved efficiency (about 2-fold) compared with an OLED without the diimide nanoclusters. The role of the BPhen-BCDI nanoclusters was assigned to hole trapping and electron injection in the present OLED structure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Electron Transport
  • Equipment Design
  • Equipment Failure Analysis
  • Imides / chemistry*
  • Lighting / instrumentation*
  • Materials Testing
  • Nanostructures / chemistry*
  • Nanostructures / ultrastructure
  • Organic Chemicals / chemistry*
  • Particle Size
  • Semiconductors*

Substances

  • Imides
  • Organic Chemicals