Highly efficient red phosphorescent Ir(III) complexes for organic light- emitting diodes based on aryl(6-arylpyridin-3-yl)methanone ligands

A series of phosphorescent Ir(III) complexes 1-4 were synthesized based on aryl(6-arylpyridin-3-yl)methanone ligands, and their photophysical and electroluminescent properties were characterized. Multilayer devices with the configuration, Indium tin oxide/4,4′,4″-tris(N-(naphthalene-2-yl)-N-phenyl-amino)triphenylamine (60 nm)/4,4′-bis(N-(1-naphthyl)-N-phenylamino)biphenyl (20 nm)/Ir(III) complexes doped in N,N′-dicarbazolyl-4,4′-biphenyl (30 nm, 8%)/2,9-dimethyl-4,7-diphenyl-phenathroline (10 nm)/tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)-aluminum (20 nm)/lithium quinolate (2 nm)/ Al (100 nm), were fabricated. Among these, the device employing complex 2 as a dopant exhibited efficient red emission with a maximum luminance, luminous efficiency, power efficiency and quantum efficiency of 16200 cd/m2 at 14.0 V, 12.20 cd/A at 20 mA/cm2, 4.26 lm/W and 9.26% at 20 mA/cm2, respectively, with Commission Internationale de l'Énclairage coordinates of (0.63, 0.37) at 12.0 V.