High-efficiency yellow double-doped organic light-emitting devices based on phosphor-sensitized fluorescence

We demonstrate high-efficiency yellow organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) employing [2-methyl-6-[2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-1H,5H-benzo[ij]quinolizin-9-yl)ethenyl]-4H-pyran-4-ylidene] propane-dinitrile (DCM2) as a fluorescent lumophore, with a green electrophospho- rescent sensitizer, fac tris(2-phenylpyridine) iridium [Ir(ppy)3] co-doped into a 4,4′-N,N′dicarbazole-biphenyl host. The devices exhibit peak external fluorescent quantum and power efficiencies of 9%±1% (25 cd/A) and 17±2 lm/W at 0.01 mA/cm2, respectively. At 10 mA/cm2, the efficiencies are 4.1%±0.5% (11 cd/A) and 3.1±0.3 lm/W. We show that this exceptionally high performance for a fluorescent dye is due to the ∼100% efficient transfer of both singlet and triplet excited states in the doubly doped host to the fluorescent material using Ir(ppy)3 as a sensitizing agent. These results suggest that 100% internal quantum efficiency fluorescent OLEDs employing this sensitization process are within reach.