Improving the electroluminescence of [Zn(salophen)(OH2)] in polyfuorene-based light-emitting diode: The role of energy transfer and charge recombination

Abstract

Combining two or more different compounds with advantageous properties has been a useful and straightforward strategy in achieving a new class of materials with improved physical properties. This has been especially true for electronic polymers, whose optoelectronic properties can be completely tuned, and even improved, when mixed with other polymeric materials, dye molecules and guest coordination compounds. Here, a light-emitting diode prepared with the conjugated polymer poly[(9,9-dioctylfuorenyl-2,7-diyl)-alt-co-(9,9-di-{5′-pentany1}-fuoreny12,7-diy1)] (PFOFPen) as the host material and aquo[N,N′-bis(salicylidene)-o-phenylenediamine] zinc(II) ([Zn(salophen)(OH2)]) as the guest molecule was studied in terms of its photo and electroluminescence properties. The role of the ZnII coordination compound as a guest in the electroluminescence is discussed as a strategy for the improvement of the electroluminescence performance of coordination compounds using conjugated polymers as matrices. An additional advantage of these composites is that they are solution processable, a low-cost and time efficient alternative to vacuum vapor deposition. Additionally, the photophysical processes involved in both electroluminescence and photoluminescence emissions are discussed because they are markedly different.