Electric-Field-Induced Excimer Formation at the Interface of Deep-Blue Emission Poly(9,9-dioctyl-2,7-fluorene) with Polyelectrolyte or Its Precursor as Electron-Injection Layer in Polymer Light-Emitting Diode and Its Prevention for Stable Emission and Higher Performance

Conjugated polyelectrolytes and their precursors as electron-injection layer (EIL) in polymer light-emitting diode have attracted extensive attention because they allow the use of environmentally stable high work function metals as cathode with efficient electron injection. Here, for the first time, we find that an undesirable green emission component (470–650 nm) in the electroluminescence spectra is observed during continuous operation of deep-blue emission β-phase poly(9,9-dioctyl-2,7-fluorene) (β-PFO) device upon introducing polyelectrolyte poly[9,9-bis(6′-(18-crown-6)methoxy)hexyl fluorene] chelating to potassium ion (PFCn6:K+) as EIL. This phenomenon also happens to nonchelating PFCn6, poly[(9,9-bis(3′-(N,N-dimethylamino)propyl)-2,7-fluorene)-alt-2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)], or even nonemissive poly[4-((18-crown-6)methoxy)methyl styrene] chelating to K+ (PSCn6:K+). It can be ascribed to electric-field induction accompanied by thermal motion of a highly polar side chain in the polyelectrolyte leading ...