Electroluminescent devices employing organic luminescent material/clay nanocomposites

Abstract

The present invention relates to an organic luminescent material/clay nanocomposite with improved luminescent efficiency and stability, which is prepared by blending an organic luminescent material with a nanoclay, and an electroluminescent device employing the same. The electroluminescent device of the invention comprises: a transparent substrate; a semitransparent electrode deposited on the transparent substrate; a clay nanocomposite emissive layer spin-coated with an organic EL material/clay nanocomposite, positioned on the semitransparent electrode; and a metal electrode deposited on the clay nanocomposite emissive layer. Since the electroluminescent device of the invention provides improved luminescent efficiency and stability, it can be practically applied to the development of organic semi-conductor.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A composition comprising an organic luminescent material and a laminated inorganic material, wherein the laminated inorganic material comprises layered plates and wherein the organic luminescent material is intercalated between the layered plates.  
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the laminated inorganic material has a thickness in the range of 0.2 to 2 nm in the vertical direction and a thickness in the range of 10 to 5,000 nm in the horizontal direction.  
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the laminated inorganic material is a nanoclay selected from the group consisting of montmorillonite, laponite, and kaolinite.  
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the organic luminescent material is selected from the group consisting of emissive conjugated polymer, emissive non-conjugated polymer, organic luminescent monomer or oligomer, blend of emissive conjugated polymer and emissive non-conjugated polymer, blend of emissive conjugated polymer and non-emissive polymer, blend of emissive non-conjugated polymer and non-emissive polymer and blend of the foregoing.  
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 4 , wherein the emissive conjugated polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(p-phenylene vinylene), polythiophene, poly(pphenylene), polyfluorene, polyarylene, poly(arylene vinylene), polyquinoline, polypyrrole, polyaniline, polyacetylene, and derivatives thereof.  
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 4 , wherein the emissive non-conjugated polymer comprises non-conjugated main chains and side chains substituted with emissive functional groups.  
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 4 , wherein the organic luminescent monomer or oligomer is selected from the group consisting of metal chelate complex, rubrene, anthracene, perylene, coumarin 6, Nile red, aromatic diamine, TPD (N,N′-diphenyl-N,N′-bis-(3-methylphenyl)-1,1′-biphenyl-4,4′-diamine), TAZ (3-(4-biphenyl)-4-phenyl-(4-tert-butylphenyl) 1,2,4-triazole), DCM (dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-(p-dimethylaminostyryl)-4H-pyran), and derivatives thereof.  
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein the metal chelate complex is alumina quinone.  
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein the metal chelate complex is tris(2-phenylpyridine)iridium (Ir(ppy) 3 ).  
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 4 , wherein the non-emissive polymer is poly(m-methylacrylic acid), polystyrene or poly(9-vinylcarbazole).  
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the organic luminescent material comprises MEH-PPV.  
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein a weight ratio of the laminated inorganic material to the organic luminescent material is from about 1:1 to about 1:5.  
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein a weight ratio of the laminated inorganic material to the organic luminescent material is from about 1:1 to about 1:2.  
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein a weight ratio of the laminated inorganic material to the organic luminescent material is from about 1:2 to about 1:5.  
     
     
         15 . An electroluminescent device which comprises: 
 a substrate;    a first electrode deposited over the substrate;    an emissive layer comprising the composition of  claim 1 , positioned over the first electrode; and    a second electrode deposited over the emissive layer.    
     
     
         16 . The electroluminescent device of  claim 15 , wherein the substrate is substantially transparent.  
     
     
         17 . The electroluminescent device of  claim 15 , wherein the substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of glass, quartz and polyethylene terephthalate.  
     
     
         18 . The electroluminescent device of  claim 15 , wherein either of the first and second electrodes comprises a material selected from the group consisting of lead oxide, indium tin oxide, doped polyaniline, doped polypyrrole, polyethylene dioxythiophene, and doped polythiophene.  
     
     
         19 . The electroluminescent device of  claim 15 , wherein either of the first and second electrodes comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum, magnesium, lithium, calcium, copper, silver, iron, platinum, indium, palladium, tungsten, zinc, gold, lead, and an alloy thereof.  
     
     
         20 . An electroluminescent device which comprises: 
 a substrate;    two opposing electrodes;    a hole-transporting layer positioned between the two electrodes; and    an emissive layer comprising the composition of  claim 1 , positioned between the two electrodes.    
     
     
         21 . The electroluminescent device of  claim 20 , wherein the hole-transporting layer comprises an organic material containing a hole-transporting moiety.  
     
     
         22 . The electroluminescent device of  claim 20 , wherein the hole-transporting layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of poly(9-vinylcarbazole), 4,4′dicarbazolyl-1,1′-biphenyl, (N,N′-diphenyl-N,N′-bis-(3-methylphenyl)-1,1′-biphenyl-4,4′ diamine), (4,4′-bis[N-(-naphthyl-1-)-N-phenyl-amino]-biphenyl), triarylamine, pyrazole, and derivatives thereof.  
     
     
         23 . An electroluminescent device which comprises: 
 a substrate;    a first electrode deposited on the substrate;    an emissive layer comprising the composition of  claim 1 , positioned over the first electrode;    an electron-transporting layer positioned over the emissive layer; and    a second electrode positioned over the electron-transporting layer.    
     
     
         24 . The electroluminescent device of  claim 23 , wherein the electron-transporting layer comprises an organic material containing an electron-transporting moiety.  
     
     
         25 . The electroluminescent device of  claim 23 , wherein the electron-transporting layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of 2,2′,2′-(1,3,5-phenylene-tris[1-phenyl-1H-benzimidazole], poly(phenyl quinoxaline), 1,3,5-tris[(6,7-dimethyl-3-phenyl)quinoxaline-2-yl]benzene, polyquinoline, tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum, and 6N,N-diethylamino-1-methyl-3-phenyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline.  
     
     
         26 . An electroluminescent device which comprises: 
 a transparent substrate;    a first electrode deposited on the transparent substrate;    a hole-transporting layer positioned on the electrode, wherein the hole-transporting layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of poly(9-vinylcarbazole), 4,4′-dicarbazolyl-1,1′-biphenyl, (N,N′-diphenyl-N,N′-bis-(3-methylphenyl)-1,1′-biphenyl-4,4′-diamine), (4,4′-bis [N-(-naphthyl-1-)-N-phenylamino]-biphenyl), triarylamine, pyrazole, and derivatives thereof;    an emissive layer comprising the composition of  claim 1 , positioned on the hole-transporting layer;    an electron transporting layer positioned on the emissive layer, wherein the electron-transporting layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of 2,2′,2′-(1,3,5-phenylene-tris[1-phenyl-1H-benzimidazole], poly(phenyl quinoxaline), 1,3,5-tris[(6,7-dimethyl-3-phenyl)quinoxaline-2-yl]benzene, polyquinoline, tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum, and 6-N,N-diethylamino-1-methyl-3-phenyl-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-b]quinoline; and    a second electrode deposited on the electron transporting layer.    
     
     
         27 . A method of preparing the composition of  claim 1 , comprising: 
 providing the organic luminescent material;    providing the laminated inorganic material;    mixing the organic luminescent material and the laminated inorganic material in a liquid; and    intercalating the organic luminescent material between the layered plates of the inorganic material.    
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the intercalation is carried out by sonicating the mixture.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the provision of the laminated inorganic material comprises selecting an intercalatable inorganic material.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the laminated inorganic material has a thickness in the range of 0.2 to 2 nm in the vertical direction and a thickness in the range of 10 to 5,000 nm in the horizontal direction.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the laminated inorganic material is a nanoclay selected from the group consisting of montmorillonite, laponite, and kaolinite.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the organic luminescent material is selected from the group consisting of emissive conjugated polymer, emissive non-conjugated polymer, organic luminescent monomer or oligomer, blend of emissive conjugated polymer and emissive non-conjugated polymer, blend of emissive conjugated polymer and non-emissive polymer, and blend of emissive non-conjugated polymer and non-emissive polymer.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the emissive conjugated polymer is selected from the group consisting of poly(p-phenylene vinylene), polythiophene, poly(p-phenylene), polyfluorene, polyarylene, poly(arylene vinylene), polyquinoline, polypyrrole, polyaniline, polyacetylene, and derivatives thereof.  
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the emissive non-conjugated polymer comprises non-conjugated main chains and side chains substituted with emissive functional groups.  
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the organic luminescent monomer or oligomer is selected from the group consisting of metal chelate complex, rubrene, anthracene, perylene, coumarin 6, Nile red, aromatic diamine, TPD (N,N′-diphenyl-N,N′-bis-(3-methylphenyl)-1,1′-biphenyl-4,4′-diamine), TAZ (3-(4-biphenyl)-4-phenyl-(4-tert-butylphenyl)1,2,4-triazole), DCM (dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-(p-dimethylaminostyryl)-4H-pyran), and derivatives thereof.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the metal chelate complex is alumina quinone.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the non-emissive polymer is poly(m-methylacrylic acid), polystyrene or poly(9-vinylcarbazole).