Efficient “Warm-White” OLEDs Based on the Phosphorescent bis-Cyclometalated iridium(III) Complex

Abstract

The starburst carbazole derivative and phosphorescent bis-cyclometalated iridium(III) complex (IC2) were used for the preparation of multilayered “warm-white” organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), the emission spectra of which are modulated by the thickness of the phosphorescent layer. It was shown that the electroluminescence spectra of the fabricated devices are more extended into the visible region compared with the photoluminescence spectra of both component materials. The observed extension of the electroluminescence spectra can be assigned to the phosphorescent emission of the low-energy exciplex formed at the interface of the emissive layers. The quantum-chemical calculations performed by the DFT and (TD) DFT methods support the formation of the low-energy triplet exciplex at the interface of the IC2 layer and the neighboring layer of the starshaped carbazole-based compound, (4,4′,4″-tris[3-methylphenyl(phenyl)amino] triphenylamine, tri(9-hexylcarbazol-3-yl)amine (THCA). Indeed, the triplet excite...