High Quantum Efficiency Coordination Polymers and Networks for OLED Application

Bowling Green State University, Bowling Green OH

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of this project is the synthesis and study of photophysical properties of self-organized electroluminescent coordination polymers that can be potentially used in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The multi-component materials are designed to utilize triplet-triplet energy transfer for harvesting the energy of both emissive singlet and nonradiative triplet states of electrolumophores to an emissive acceptor. Two types of emissive coordination polymers will be synthesized. The target materials will be prepared using the methods of organometallic syn-thesis; steady-state and time-correlated fluorescence and transient spectroscopy will be used to study the energy transfer processes in the proposed materials. The electroluminescence of the synthesized compounds and materials will be also investigated using simple OLED devices. Co-ordination polymers utilizing quinolinolate complexes are rare, and their potential for OLEDs has not been investigated. The metallocomplexes directly connected to the conjugated polymer or oligomer may be viewed as the missing link between the two main groups of electroluminescent materials-low-molecular metallocomplexes and conjugated oligomers. It is expected that the at-tachment of conjugated oligomers to the quinolinolate ligand (donor) will provide a means for ef-fective exciton stabilization and facilitate triplet-triplet energy transfer to porphyrin acceptors via the Dexter mechanism. It is predicted that the tuning of energy levels of the components will in-duce molecular wire behavior in the conjugated spacer, and increase energy transfer and quantum performance of the resulting materials. %%% The project addresses fundamental research issues associated with electronic/photonic materials having technological relevance. The project advances general knowledge as well as yielding novel materials displaying unique photonic properties arising from synergy in the photophysical behavior of donor/acceptor metallocomplexes and polymers. The proposed coordination poly-mers may yield new types of device (OLEDs) materials, contributing to the advancement of flat panel display technologies. This PI's research group will be active in an interdisciplinary discus-sion focused on various aspects of science and OLED engineering through publication and active participation in meetings. Societal benefits occur through the advancement of education contrib-uting to professional training of a highly qualified future workforce. ***