Interface engineering to enhance the efficiency of conventional polymer solar cells by alcohol-/water-soluble C60 materials doped with alkali carbonates.

Two new C60-based n-type materials, EGMC-OH and EGMC-COOH, functionalized with hydrophilic triethylene glycol groups (TEGs), have been synthesized and employed in conventional polymer solar cells. With the assistance of the TEG-based surfactant, EGMC-OH and EGMC-COOH can be dissolved in highly polar solvents to implement the polar/nonpolar orthogonal solvent strategy, forming an electron modification layer (EML) without eroding the underlying active layer. Multilayer conventional solar cells on the basis of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/P3HT:PC61BM/EML/Ca/Al configuration with the insertion of the EGMC-OH and EGMC-COOH EML between the active layer and the electrode have thus been successfully realized by cost-effective solution processing techniques. Moreover, the electron conductivity of the EML can be improved by incorporating alkali carbonates into the EGMC-COOH EML. Compared to the pristine device with a PCE of 3.61%, the devices modified by the Li2CO3-doped EGMC-COOH EML achieved a highest PCE of 4.29%. Furthermore, we demonstrated that the formation of the EGMC-COOH EML can be utilized as a general approach in the fabrication of highly efficient multilayer conventional devices. With the incorporation of the EGMC-COOH doped with 40 wt % Li2CO3, the PCDCTBT-C8:PC71BM-based device exhibited a superior PCE of 4.51%, which outperformed the corresponding nonmodified device with a PCE of 3.63%.

Pt(II) complexes with 6-(5-trifluoromethyl-pyrazol-3-yl)-2,2'-bipyridine terdentate chelating ligands: synthesis, characterization, and luminescent properties.

A series of Pt(II) complexes Pt(fpbpy)Cl (1), Pt(fpbpy)(OAc) (2), Pt(fpbpy)(NHCOMe) (3), Pt(fpbpy)(NHCOEt) (4), and [Pt(fpbpy)(NCMe)](BF(4)) (5) with deprotonated 6-(5-trifluoromethyl-pyrazol-3-yl)-2,2'-bipyridine terdentate ligand are prepared, among which 1 is converted to complexes 2-5 by a simple ligand substitution. Alternatively, acetamide complex 3 is prepared by hydrolysis of acetonitrile complex 5, while the back conversion from 3 to 1 is regulated by the addition of HCl solution, showing the reaction sequence 1-->5-->3-->1. Multilayer OLED devices are successfully fabricated by using triphenyl-(4-(9-phenyl-9H-fluoren-9-yl)phenyl) silane (TPSi-F) as host material and with doping concentrations of 1 varying from 7 to 100 %. The electroluminescence showed a substantial red-shifting versus the normal photoluminescence detected in solution. Moreover, at a doping concentration of 28 %, the device showed a saturated red luminescence with a maximum external quantum yield of 8.5 % at 20 mA cm(-2) and a peak luminescence of 47,543 cd m(-2) at 18.5 V.

Novel carbazole/fluorene hybrids: host materials for blue phosphorescent OLEDs.

[reaction: see text] A series of carbazole/fluorene (CBZm-Fn) hybrids were effectively synthesized through Friedel-Crafts-type substitution of the carbazole rings. These compounds were thermally and morphologically stable host materials for OLED applications. Efficient blue phosphorescent OLEDs were obtained when employing CBZ1-F2 as the host and FIrpic as the guest.

Highly efficient red-electrophosphorescent devices based on polyfluorene copolymers containing charge-transporting pendant units.

We have systematically examined the photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) behavior of blends comprising two efficient red phosphors doped, respectively, into the blue-emitting polyfluorene derivatives PF-TPA-OXD and PF-OXD. The host polymers, which contain both hole- and electron-transporting or merely electron-transporting side chains, are capable of facilitating charge injection and transport. After determining the HOMO and LUMO energy levels of these materials, we were able to match the dopant with its most suitable host to achieve the direct formation and confinement of an exciton at the dopant. This configuration also leads to a reduction in the electrical excitation of the host polymer, which in turn decreases the degree of exciton loss arising from nonradiative decay of the host triplet. Using this approach, we were able to realize the production of high-performance red-electrophosphorescent devices. For Os(fppz)-doped devices, we obtain a balanced charge recombination in conjunction with higher current and luminance when using PF-TPA-OXD as the host matrix; this device reached a maximum external quantum efficiency of 8.37% with a peak brightness of 16 720 cd/m2. The absence of charge-transporting pendant units, i.e., the device fabricated from poly[9,9-dioctylfluorene-2,7-diyl] (POF), led, however, to relatively poor electroluminescence characteristics (5.81% and 2144 cd/m2).