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A general method for developing high-efficiency organic light-emitting diodes based on AIE-active room-temperature phosphorescent polymers

Project description

High-efficiency OLEDs with phosphorescent materials

Brighter and more colourful than ever, organic light-emitting diode (OLED) displays boast several advantages compared to other display technologies. Not only do they provide the best image quality, but they are also thin, efficient and can be made to be transparent and flexible. What is more, they consume less power. Limited by electron spin–statistics, the maximum internal quantum efficiency of conventional fluorescent OLEDs is 25 %. Using the principle of phosphorescence, OLEDs generate light from both triplet and singlet excitons, allowing their internal quantum efficiency to reach nearly 100 %. The EU-funded AIE-RTP-PLED project plans to develop polymers that demonstrate room-temperature phosphorescence and aggregation-induced emission. Polymers combining these properties demonstrate great potential for use as high-efficiency emitters in low-cost solution-processed OLEDs.

Objective

Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) as displays and luminaires have generated enormous attention because of their unique advantages compared to other lighting and display technologies. These include the capacity to fabricate ultra-thin, flexible and transparent devices that additionally have a much lower power consumption. Limited by the electron spin statistics, the maximum internal quantum efficiency (IQE) of conventional fluorescent OLEDs is only 25%. In contrast, thermally activated delayed fluorescence (TADF) can theoretically realize 100% IQE by recruiting triplet excitons and converting them into singlet excitons via reverse intersystem crossing. Most TADF materials must be doped into a rigid host matrix in order to suppress aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) and other nonradiative processes. An alternative mechanism where 100% IQE can be realized is room temperature phosphorescence (RTP). This proposal targets the development of polymers that are both RTP and show aggregation induced emission (AIE). This permits these materials to be used as high-efficiency emitters in low-cost solution-processed OLEDs. Due to the synergistic effect of AIE, RTP, and polymer, high-efficiency RTP materials can be developed in the amorphous state, a previously undocumented advance in materials development. Through this research proposal, a general road map for simple and high-efficiency PLEDs will be constructed based on AIE-RTP polymers.

Fields of science

Not validated

Coordinator

THE UNIVERSITY COURT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ST ANDREWS
Net EU contribution
€ 212 933,76
Address
NORTH STREET 66 COLLEGE GATE
KY16 9AJ St Andrews
United Kingdom

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Region
Scotland Eastern Scotland Clackmannanshire and Fife
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
€ 212 933,76