Exploiting Photo- and Electroluminescence Properties of FIrpic Organic Crystals

Inorg Chem. 2016 Jul 5;55(13):6532-8. doi: 10.1021/acs.inorgchem.6b00701. Epub 2016 Jun 15.

Abstract

In this work, we investigate the optical and structural properties of the well-known triplet emitter bis(4',6'-difluorophenylpyridinato)-iridium(III) picolinate (FIrpic), showing that its ability to pack in two different ordered crystal structures promotes attractive photophysical properties that are useful for solid-state lighting applications. This approach allows the detrimental effects of the nonradiative pathways on the luminescence performance in highly concentrated organic active materials to be weakened. The remarkable electro-optical behavior of sky-blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes incorporating crystal domains of FIrpic, dispersed into an appropriate matrix as an active layer, has also been reported as well as the X-ray diffraction, nuclear magnetic resonance, electro-ionization mass spectrometry, and scanning electron microscopy analyses of the crystalline samples. We consider this result as a crucial starting point for further research aimed at the use of a crystal triplet emitter in optoelectronic devices to overcome the long-standing issue of luminescence self-quenching.