We demonstrate high-efficiency electrophosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes (PHOLEDs) with double light-emitting layers (D–EMLs) by doping both hole and electron transport hosts with fac tris(2-phenylpyridine)iridium [Ir(ppy)3] simultaneously. The D–EMLs PHOLEDs show significantly improved efficiency (peak external quantum efficiency of about 12.6%, corresponding to a current efficiency of 44.3 cd/A) compared to the conventional PHOLEDs with a single EML and either hole or electron transport host doped with Ir(ppy)3. We attribute this improvement mainly to reduced losses of triplet excitons into regions that are not doped by phosphorescent emitter molecules.

Cyclometallated iridium carbene complexes are introduced as efficient blue triplet emitters. Quantum mechanical calculations have been used to design and to optimize this class of materials predominantely with respect to color coordinates and luminescence quantum yield. To complete the set of materials required for deep blue OLED devices we engineered suitable host and blocker materials for the use in combination with large triplet energy carbene emitters. These tailor-made materials were applied to develop deep blue electroluminescent devices with excellent efficiency.

Currently, one of the most challenging applications for OLEDs is the full color display. The most energy-efficient way to realize light generation in OLEDs is by using phosphorescent emitters. Green and red emitters have already been demonstrated, but the search for blue emitting organic phosphorescent emitters with good color purity is still ongoing with arduous effort. Here we present our work with a new material developed at BASF which allows phosphorescent emission in the deep-blue spectral range. The emitter has an emission maximum at 400 nm, which gives CIE color coordinates of x = 0.16 and y = 0.06. An OLED device made with this new material shows a maximum external quantum efficiency of 1.5 %. The OLED was built in a three layer structure, with the emitting zone being a hybrid guest-host system. As host material we used the optically and electronically inert polymer poly-methyl-methacrylate (PMMA). Because of its lack of charge transport abilities we doped the host material with a high concentration of the triplet emitting material, i.e. the emitter itself is also used as charge transport material.