Electroluminescent properties of lanthanide pentafluorophenolates

Abstract

Lanthanide pentafluorophenolates Ln(OC₆F₅)₃(L)_x (Ln = Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Dy, Ho, Er, Yb; L = 1,10-phenanthroline, 2,2′-bipyridine; x = 1 and 2) are used as emissive layers in organic light emitting devices (OLEDs). Single-layer ITO/Ln(OC₆F₅)₃(L)_x/Yb devices reveal no electroluminescence (EL) with the exception of Tb-derivative-based OLEDs. Bilayer ITO/TPD/Ln(OC₆F₅)₃(L)_x/Yb samples exhibit a broad band emission peaked at 580 nm assigned to an electroplex at the TPD/complex interface. Besides, the spectra of the devices based on Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Er, Tb and Yb derivatives contain the characteristic narrow bands of f–f transitions. Terbium-based bilayer OLEDs exhibit unusual changes in the EL spectra with increasing the applied voltage. The emission color of the devices tunes from orange towards green. The possible nature of the phenomenon is discussed.