Novel fluorene/carbazole hybrids with steric bulk as host materials for blue organic electrophosphorescent devices

The problem of self-quenching in organic electrophosphorescence devices has been extensively studied and partially solved by using sterically hindered spacers in phosphorescent dopants. This paper attempts to address this problem by using sterically hindered host materials. Novel fluorene/carbazole hybrids with tert-butyl substitutions, namely 9,9-bis[ 4-(3,6-di-tert-butylcarbazol-9-yl) phenyl] fluorene (TBCPF) and 9,9-bis[ 4-(carbazol-9-yl) phenyl]-2,7-di-tert-butylfluorene (CPTBF), have been synthesized and characterized. The compounds exhibit not only high triplet energy (> 2.8 eV), but also high glass transition temperature (> 160 degrees C) and thermal stability. The substitution of inert tert-butyl groups to the carbazole/fluorene rings of these host molecules has a remarkable effect on the corresponding properties of the host materials, i. e. enhancing the thermal and electrochemical stability, weakening the intermolecular packing, and tuning the solid-state emission. Blue electrophosphorescent devices with enhanced performance were prepared by utilizing the sterically hindered host materials. The devices based on the four tert-butyl substituted material TBCPF exhibit unusual tolerance of high dopant concentration up to 20% and marked reduction of efficiency roll-off at higher current, indicating significant suppression of self-quenching effect in organic electrophosphorescent devices by the substitution of steric bulks. (C) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.