Electroluminescence of Multicomponent Conjugated Polymers. 2. Photophysics and Enhancement of Electroluminescence from Blends of Polyquinolines

Synthesis of Green/Blue Light Emitting Quinolines by Aza-D-A Reaction Using InCl3 Catalyst

An efficient InCl3-catalyzed sequential reaction of aromatic amines, aromatic aldehydes and functionalized alkynes leading to the formation of new quinoline derivatives exhibiting significant fluorescence activities is described. The photophysical investigations of quinolines were carried out by absorption and photoluminescence measurements. One particular compound 4 h having maximum intensity, emitting green colour (Φ = 0.78) with average life time of 6.20 ns was the best amongst the tested compounds. The presence of the amino group at the 4-aryl substituent of the quinoline backbone played an important role in executing the Povarov cyclization successfully and enhancing the flourescence properties of the newly synthesized quinolines.

Novel multifunctional organic semiconductor materials based on 4,8-substituted 1,5-naphthyridine: synthesis, single crystal structures, opto-electrical properties and quantum chemistry calculation

A series of 4,8-substituted 1,5-naphthyridines (1a-1h) have been successfully synthesised by a Suzuki cross-coupling between 4,8-dibromo-1,5-naphthyridine (4) and the corresponding boronic acids (2a-2h) in the presence of catalytic palladium acetate in yields of 41.4-75.8% and have ben well characterized. They are thermally robust with high phase transition temperatures (above 186 °C). Compounds 1b, 1e and 1f crystallized in the monoclinic crystal system with the space groups P2(1)/c, P2(1)/c and P2(1)/n, respectively. All of them show the lowest energy absorption bands (λ(max)(Abs): 294-320 nm), revealing low optical band gaps (2.77-3.79 eV). These materials emit blue fluorescence with λ(max)(Em) ranging from 434-521 nm in dilute solution in dichloromethane and 400-501 nm in the solid state. 4,8-Substituted 1,5-naphthyridines 1a-1h have estimated electron affinities (EA) of (2.38-2.72 eV) suitable for electron-transport materials and ionization potentials (IP) of 4.85-5.04 eV facilitate excellent hole-injecting/hole-transport materials properties. Quantum chemical calculations using DFT B3LYP/6-31G* showed nearly identical the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals (LUMO) of -2.39 to -2.19 eV and the highest occupied molecular orbitals (HOMO) of -5.33 to -6.84 eV. These results demonstrate the 4,8-substituted 1,5-naphthyridines 1a-1h with a simple architecture might be promising blue-emitting (or blue-green-emitting) materials, electron-transport materials and hole-injecting/hole-transport materials for applications for developing high-efficiency OLEDs.

The role of molecular volume and the shape of the hole transport molecule in the morphology of model charge transport composites

We present a study of the morphology and molecular interactions in a model charge transport composite with 1,1-bis(di-4-tolylaminophenyl) cyclohexane (TAPC) as the hole transport molecule in bisphenol-A polycarbonate (BPAPC) and cyclohexyl polycarbonate, also known as bisphenol-Z polycarbonate (PCZ). Solution NMR shows that while there is aromatic interaction between the phenyl groups of the polycarbonate and TAPC, the broadening of the peaks corresponding to the latter indicates a decrease in the rotational motion. FTIR spectroscopy also exhibits frequency shifts of the aromatic C–H absorption peaks, which parallels the extent of the depression of the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polycarbonate. These are compared with the previous results for N,N-diphenyl-N,N-bis(3-methylphenyl)-[1,1-biphenyl]-4,4-diamine (TPD) and tri-p-tolylamine (TTA), and the differences are rationalized on the basis of the molecular shape and van der Waals volume of the small molecules. It is proposed that when the polycarbonate is in a random coil conformation, spherical small molecules (e.g., TAPC and TTA) reduce the glass transition temperature much more than a rodlike small molecule (e.g., TPD). Annealing at a temperature just below the Tg of the polycarbonate was used as a means of simulating accelerated ageing. Upon annealing, phase separation and crystallization of TAPC occurs and leads to a recovery of the Tg of the polymer significantly. The Tg recovery in this case is much more significant than in the case of TPD. The average crystal sizes are about ten times smaller than the crystals obtained in the case of TPD for the same temperature of annealing. To enhance the charge mobility, it might actually be advantageous to induce submicron crystals of the small molecule, while keeping the film transparent.

Patterning of light-emitting conjugated polymer nanofibres

Organic materials have revolutionized optoelectronics by their processability, flexibility and low cost, with application to light-emitting devices for full-colour screens, solar cells and lasers. Some low-dimensional organic semiconductor structures exhibit properties resembling those of inorganics, such as polarized emission and enhanced electroluminescence. One-dimensional metallic, III-V and II-VI nanostructures have also been the subject of intense investigation as building blocks for nanoelectronics and photonics. Given that one-dimensional polymer nanostructures, such as polymer nanofibres, are compatible with sub-micrometre patterning capability and electromagnetic confinement within subwavelength volumes, they can offer the benefits of organic light sources to nanoscale optics. Here we report on the optical properties of fully conjugated, electrospun polymer nanofibres. We assess their waveguiding performance and emission tuneability in the whole visible range. We demonstrate the enhancement of the fibre forward emission through imprinting periodic nanostructures using room-temperature nanoimprint lithography, and investigate the angular dispersion of differently polarized emitted light.

Photochromism and Electrical Transport Characteristics of a Dyad and a Polymer with Diarylethene and Quinoline Units

The synthesis of a series of photochromic compounds incorporating a phenylquinoline unit and the photophysical and electric transport properties are described. The dyad and polymer with a quinoline unit show a high quantum yield due to the enforced antiparallel conformation of the dithienylethene moieties. High carrier conductivity was observed in the closed form of the diarylethene with a phenylquinoline unit.