Electrical and optical properties of organic light-emitting diodes with rhenium(I) complexes using DC and AC methods

• Published in: Optical materials Vol. 94; pp. 206 - 212
• Main Authors: Gonçalves, Márcia R., Benvenho, Adriano R.V., Frin, Karina P.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 01-08-2019
• Subjects: Admittance spectroscopy; Charge injection; Emission; Energy transfer; OLEDs; Re(I) complexes; Emission; Re(I) complexes; OLEDs; Charge injection; Energy transfer; Admittance spectroscopy
• ISSN: 0925-3467; 1873-1252
• DOI: 10.1016/j.optmat.2019.05.042

Four rhenium(I) tricarbonyl complexes with 1,10-phenanthroline and derivative bearing electron-donating CH3 and OCH3 substituents were doped into host material poly (9-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) with a mass ratio of 8% as the emissive layer in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). All complexes showed photoluminescence in the solution and embedded into a PVK matrix (λmax∼520–550 nm). The comparison with the bare PVK emission and the compound/PVK film shows that the emission of the polymer was quenched through an energy transfer process from PVK to the dopant. The electrical properties of the devices with FTO/PEDOT:PSS/Complex:PVK/Al architecture were investigated using the DC method by curves of current density-voltage and the AC method as admittance spectroscopy, which showed that the behavior of the devices is controlled by charge carrier injection rather than bulk transport.
•PVK doped with fac-[Re(CO)3(NN)(PPh3)]PF6 complexes as the emissive layer in OLEDs.•The complexes showed photoluminescence in the solution in a PVK matrix.•PVK emission was quenched through an energy transfer process from PVK to the dopant.•FTO/PEDOT:PSS/Complex:PVK/Al architecture.•Investigation of electrical properties using the DC and AC methods.