Performances of Liquid‐Exfoliated Transition Metal Dichalcogenides as Hole Injection Layers in Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes

Abstract

2D transition metal dichalcogenide (TMD) nanosheets, including MoS2, WS2, and TaS2, are used as hole injection layers (HILs) in organic light‐emitting diodes (OLEDs). MoS2, WS2, and TaS2 nanosheets are prepared using an exfoliation by ultrasonication method. The thicknesses and sizes of the TMD nanosheets are measured to be 3.1–4.3 nm and more than 100 nm, respectively. The work functions of the TMD nanosheets increase from 4.4–4.9 to 4.9–5.1 eV following ultraviolet/ozone (UVO) treatment. The turn‐on voltages at 10 cd m−2 for UVO‐treated TMD‐based devices decrease from 7.3–12.8 to 4.3–4.4 V and maximum luminance efficiencies increase from 5.74–9.04 to 12.01–12.66 cd A−1. In addition, this study confirms that the stabilities of the devices in air can be prolonged by using UVO‐treated TMDs as HILs in OLEDs. These results demonstrate the great potential of liquid‐exfoliated TMD nanosheets for use as HILs in OLEDs.