Hostname: page-component-7c8c6479df-nwzlb Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-03-26T10:45:33.068Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

The Evolution of Organometallic Complexes in Organic Light-Emitting Devices

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 January 2011

Get access

Abstract

This article is an edited transcript of the MRS Medal presentation given by Mark Thompson (University of Southern California) on November 28, 2006, at the Materials Research Society Fall Meeting in Boston. Thompson was awarded the Medal for the “development of highly efficient heavy-metal phosphor complexes.” The MRS Medal recognizes a specific outstanding recent discovery or advancement which is expected to have a major impact on the progress of any materials-related field.

Successful research efforts have led to improvements in the internal efficiencies of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) from 25% to 100%. The electroluminescence process in OLEDs involves the formation of both singlet and triplet excitons, formed in a ratio of 1:3. There is a drive to improve spin statistics by developing compounds in which triplet excitons, in addition to singlet excitons, can be used efficiently. Success with the incorporation of heavy-metal–based phosphors into OLEDs, in which the strong spin-orbit coupling of the metal atom allows for efficient molecular phosphorescence from triplet excitons, resulted in the identification and synthesis of an iridium complex, fac-tris-phenylpyridine iridium, with internal efficiencies of 100%. This, in turn, has led to the synthesis of more than 100 iridium- and platinum-based compounds, which have become the most efficient light-emitting compounds yet discovered. Intellectual property from Thompson's research in this field has led to more than 50 U.S. patents and substantial entrepreneurial investment toward commercial applications and devices.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2007

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1.Baldo, M.A., O'Brien, D.F., Thompson, M.E., Forrest, S.R., Phys. Rev. B 60 (20), 14422 (1999).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
2.Vanhelmont, F.W.M., Gudel, H.U., Fortsch, M., Burgi, H.B., Inorg. Chem. 36 (24), 5512 (1997).Google Scholar
3.Yersin, H., Humbs, W., Inorg. Chem. 38 (25), 5820 (1999).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
4.Schmidt, J., Wiedenhofer, H., Von Zelewsky, A., Yersin, H., J. Phys. Chem. 99, 226 (1995).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
5.Baldo, M.A., O'Brien, D.F., You, Y., Shoustikov, A., Sibley, S., Thompson, M.E., Forrest, S.R., Nature 395, 151 (1998).Google Scholar
6.O'Brien, D.F., Baldo, M.A., Thompson, M.E., Forrest, S.R., Appl. Phys. Lett. 74 (3), 442 (1999).Google Scholar
7.Sprouse, S., King, K.A., Spellane, P.J., Watts, R.J., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 106 (22), 6647 (1984).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
8.Baldo, M.A., Lamansky, S., Burrows, P.E., Thompson, M.E., Forrest, S.R., Appl. Phys. Lett. 75 (1), 4 (1999).Google Scholar
9.Nonoyama, M., Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn. 47 (3), 767 (1974).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
10.Lamansky, S., Djurovich, P., Murphy, D., Abdel-Razzaq, F., Lee, H.-E., Adachi, C., Burrows, P.E., Forrest, S.R., Thompson, M.E., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 123 (18), 4304 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
11.Holzer, D.W., Penzkofer, A., Tsuboi, T., Chem. Phys. 308, 93 (2005).Google Scholar
12.Adachi, C., Baldo, M.A., Thompson, M.E., Forrest, S.R., J. Appl. Phys. 90 (10), 5048 (2001).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
13.Kawamura, Y., Goushi, K., Brooks, J., Brown, J.J., Sasabe, H., Adachi, C., Appl. Phys. Lett. 86 (7), 071104 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
14.Li, J., Djurovich, P.I., Alleyne, B.D., Yousufuddin, M., Ho, N.N., Thomas, J.C., Peters, J.C., Bau, R., Thompson, M.E., Inorg. Chem. 44 (6), 1713 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
15.Brooks, J., Babayan, Y., Lamansky, S., Djurovich, P.I., Tsyba, I., Bau, R., Thompson, M.E., Inorg. Chem. 41 (12), 3055 (2002).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
16.Ma, B., Li, J., Djurovich, P.I., Yousufuddin, M., Bau, R., Thompson, M.E., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127 (1), 28 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
17.Borek, C., Hanson, K., Djurovich, P.I., Thompson, M.E., Aznavour, K., Bau, R., Sun, Y., Forrest, S.R., Brooks, J., Michalski, L., Brown, J.Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 46, 1109 (2006).Google Scholar
18.Adachi, C., Kwong, R.C., Djurovich, P., Adamovich, V., Baldo, M.A., Thompson, M.E., Forrest, S.R., Appl. Phys. Lett. 79 (13), 2082 (2001).Google Scholar
19.Sajoto, T., Djurovich, P.I., Tamayo, A., Yousufuddin, M., Bau, R., Thompson, M.E., Holmes, R.J., Forrest, S.R., Inorg. Chem. 44 (22), 7992 (2005).CrossRefGoogle Scholar