High luminance organic light-emitting diodes with efficient multi-walled carbon nanotube hole injectors

We report on high luminance organic light-emitting diodes using acid functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotube (o-MWCNTs) as efficient hole injector electrodes, using a simple, solution processable device structure. At only 10 V, the luminance approaches 50,000 cd/m2 with an external quantum efficiency over 2% and a current efficiency greater than 21 cd/A. The investigation of hole-only devices shows that the mechanism for hole injection changes from injection limited to bulk limited because of the higher effective work function of the anode modified by the o-MWCNTs. We expect the enhancement of the local electric field, brought about by both the dielectric inhomogeneities within the o-MWCNT containing anode and the high aspect ratio carbon nanotubes, improves hole injection from the anode to the organic active layer at much lower applied voltage.