White light from a single-emitter light-emitting electrochemical cell

J Am Chem Soc. 2013 Mar 6;135(9):3647-52. doi: 10.1021/ja312548b. Epub 2013 Feb 22.

Abstract

We report a novel and generic approach for attaining white light from a single-emitter light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEC). With an active-layer comprising a multifluorophoric conjugated copolymer (MCP) and an electrolyte designed to inhibit MCP energy-transfer interactions during LEC operation, we are able to demonstrate LECs that emit broad-band white light with a color rendering index of 82, a correlated-color temperature of 4000 K, and a current conversion efficacy of 3.8 cd/A. It is notable that this single-emitter LEC configuration eliminates color-drift problems stemming from phase separation, which are commonly observed in conventional blended multiemitter devices. Moreover, the key role of the electrolyte in limiting undesired energy-transfer reactions is highlighted by the observation that an electrolyte-free organic light-emitting diode comprising the same MCP emits red light.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Electrochemical Techniques* / instrumentation
  • Electrolytes / chemistry
  • Light*
  • Molecular Structure
  • Polymers / chemistry
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence
  • Temperature

Substances

  • Electrolytes
  • Polymers