A study of the relationship between the electroluminescence characteristics and compositions of PPV-PVA-based polymers

Abstract

A series of poly( p-phenylene vinylene) (PPV)-poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA)-based polymers were prepared from the PPV precursor and PVA aqueous solution mixtures. The luminescence characteristics of the PPV-PVA-based polymers were dependent on their composition and the following treating conditions. The emitted light of the PPV-PVA-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) shifted from yellow-green (550 nm) to blue (485 nm) as the PVA component increased. The infra-red (i.r.) absorption spectra showed that some part of the PPV precursor could react with PVA to form COC linkages and interrupted the conjugation of PPV polymer chains. This resulted in decrease of the conjugated chain length, as evidenced in ultraviolet-visible u.v.-vis. absorption spectra. The relative photoluminescence (PL) intensity increases with decreasing the conjugated chain length. The relative electroluminescence (EL) decreases with the increase of the PVA component in the polymers. However, both PL and EL intensity normalized with PPV molar ratio of PPV-PVA-based polymers were higher than that of pure PPV. The relative low threshold voltage at 4–6 V was found in these PPV-PVA-based polymer LEDs with Al (negative) and indium-tin oxide ITO (positive) as the two electrodes.