Synthesis of N,N,N′,N′-tetrasubstituted 1,3-bis(4-aminophenyl)azulenes and their application to a hole-injecting material in organic electroluminescent devices

After a preliminary search of the reaction conditions for the Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of haloazulenes with arylboronic acids, the title compounds were synthesized either by the direct coupling reaction between 1,3-dihaloazulene and the corresponding N,N-disubstituted 4-aminophenylboronic acids or by a two-step sequence involving the cross-coupling with 4-bromophenylboronic acid and subsequent Pd-catalyzed amination. Application of the title diamines to a hole-injecting material in organic electroluminescent devices was carried out to provide their prominent characteristics as a novel durable, non-cyanine and non-polyamine substance without color fade. The diamine derivatives, extended by an ethynyl unit between the azulenyl core and the 4-aminophenyl moiety, were also synthesized and found, unfortunately, unsuitable for vacuum deposition in preparing a multilayer composite. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.