White light-emitting devices based on star-shape like polymers with diarylmaleimde fluorophores on the side chain of polyfluorene arms

•Highly pure star-like polymers were obtained by using new construction strategy.•Simple non-emissive core replaced emissive one synthesized by complex procedure.•The formation of linear polyfluorene can be effectively suppressed in the new system.•The performance of white device was improved substantially by annealing at 140 °C.•Tight molecular stacking was responsive for the high efficiency of annealed devices.

A series of novel star-shape like white polymers were synthesized by employing the benzene as the core, and incorporating different amount of bis (4-methoxyphenyl) maleimide guest onto the side-chain of the polyfluorene (PF) arm host. Due to the large feed ratio of core, such a construction strategy could efficiently avoid or suppress the formation of linear PF which always existed in the previous star-like polymers employing guest as core. When applied to the single emitting layer devices fabricated by solution spin-coating method, the efficiency of the devices enhanced gradually with the amount of guest increasing from 0.01% to 2%. The device performance was further improved substantially by annealing at 140 °C. A typical device base on P1 containing 1% dopant exhibited maximal luminous efficiency of 6.13 cd/A. Interestingly, the increase of efficiency is not originated from the self-dopant effect of α or β crystalline phase, which was always produced by thermal treatment at 120 °C in linear or previous star-like polyfluorenes. Morphology analysis disclosed that annealing made the polymeric molecules stack become closer, consequently resulting in a more effectively charge transfer and energy transfer from host to guest. As a result, the compact molecular stacking of the star-shape like polymers should be responsive for the high efficiency of annealed devices. The results would be conducive to design new star-shape like polymers with more arms, and improve the performance of white devices.

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