Uncover the electroluminescence in wide band gap polymers

Due to the rapidly increasing demand of electric power, insulating materials used in electrical components are pushed up to their limits, where their electronic properties are of fundamental importance. Electroluminescence provides an elegant way to investigate electronic properties, high field effects and electrical ageing of polymers although the emission spectrum is still poorly understood. Unlike in organic semi-conductors, electroluminescence spectra of large band gap polymers exhibit specific spectral features that cannot be interpreted on the basis of the photo-physical properties of the material. By irradiating polypropylene thin films with electrons up to a few keV and by analyzing the emitted light, we were able to isolate the elementary components of the emission and to reconstruct the electroluminescence spectrum. For the first time, a comprehensive study of electroluminescence in polymers is provided and the underlying mechanisms of the emission are discussed. The results herein provide an univocal demonstration that the electroluminescence from wide band gap polymers results in part from chemical reactions, opening the way to the diagnosis and prognosis of polymeric materials under electrical stress.