A new approach to efficiency enhancement of polymer light-emitting diodes by deposition of anode buffer layers in the presence of additives

Here we report a new approach for the preparation of anode buffer layer for efficient polymer light-emitting devices (PLEDs) by using glycerol to modify relative low conductivity poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS). This new type of anode buffer layer allows for a 50–90% increase in device performance for green emitting phosphorescent PLEDs in terms of luminous efficiency, and external quantum efficiency, while 90–150% in power efficiency, as compared to devices fabricated using commercially available PEDOT:PSS. The green emitting phosphorescent PLEDs with this modified anode buffer exhibit very high efficiencies, representing a significant step forward to matching and exceeding the efficiencies reported to date with vacuum-deposited small molecular devices. We anticipate that these findings can provide a simple experimental procedure for improvement of PLEDs.