Stabilizing the optical properties of PFO through addition of a non-volatile low molecular weight aromatic ether

Abstract

New composites consisting of poly(9,9′-dioctylfluorene) (PFO) and polyphenyl ether (PPE) were prepared, cast into thin films, and their optical, thermal, and device properties were evaluated. The incorporation of PPE allowed facile formation of PFO β-phase domains and provided a new method of achieving this structure. In addition, the PPE/PFO composites exhibited notably improved spectral stability over pure PFO. Prototype polymer light-emitting diodes based upon PFO/PPE composite thin films were fabricated and their device response was directly compared to equivalent PFO devices revealing no obvious performance degradation.