Ionically Assisted Charge Injection in Hybrid Organic-Inorganic Light-Emitting Diodes

We have developed hybrid organic-inorganic light-emitting diodes (HyLEDs) featuring a buffer layer of a conjugated polyelectrolyte (CPE) sandwiched between a light emitting polymer (LEP) film and a ZnO electron injection layer. Efficacies exceeding 5 cd/A and the possibility of employing various LEPs are demonstrated. These improvements, compared to HyLEDs without any interlayer, are attributed to the redistribution of ions in the CPE film, causing hole accumulation at the CPE/LEP interfaces and enhanced electron injection from the ZnO into the electroluminescent polymer. The intrinsic air-stability of the electrodes used in HyLEDs, together with the solution processability of the ZnO/CPE/LEP system, make them interesting as potentially encapsulation-free, low-cost, light-emitting devices.