Binuclear compounds

• US 20060269785A1
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bert Alleyne, Mark Thompson, Peter Djurovich
• Original Assignee: Bert Alleyne, Mark Thompson, Peter Djurovich
• Inventors: Thompson, Mark E., Djurovich, Peter, Alleyne, Bert
• Granted Patent: US 7,824,778 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 428/690
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 2101/10 Triplet emission
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/11 characterised by the electroluminescent [EL] layers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 50/125 specially adapted for multicolour light emission, e.g. for emitting white light
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/30 Coordination compounds
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/346 comprising platinum
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/361 Polynuclear complexes, i.e. complexes comprising two or more metal centers
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/633 comprising polycyclic condensed aromatic hydrocarbons as substituents on the nitrogen atom
• CPC Class Codes: H10K 85/657 Polycyclic condensed heteroaromatic hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 428/917 Electroluminescent

Abstract

Devices are provided having an anode, a cathode, and an emissive layer disposed between and electrically connected to the anode and the cathode. The emissive layer includes an emissive material having more than one metal center. In one embodiment, first and second metal centers are independently selected from the group consisting of d7, d8, and d9 metals. A bridging ligand is coordinated to the first metal center and to the second metal center. In one embodiment, the first and second metal centers each have coordination numbers of at least 3, and more preferably each have coordination numbers of 4. In one embodiment, photoactive ligands are coordinated to the first and second metal centers. In one embodiment, there are no photoactive ligands. In one embodiment, a charge neutral bi-nuclear emissive material is provided. In one embodiment the first and metal centers have a co-facial configuration, and preferably a square planar co-facial configuration. In one embodiment, the metal centers are selected from metals having an atomic number greater than or equal to 40.

Claims

1. An organic light emitting device, comprising:

an anode;

a cathode; and

an emissive layer disposed between and electrically connected to the anode and the cathode, the emissive layer comprising an emissive material comprising;

a first metal center;

a second metal; and

four bridging ligands, wherein each bridging ligand is coordinated to the first metal center and to the second metal center.

2. An organic light emitting device, comprising:

an anode;

a cathode; and

an emissive layer disposed between and electrically connected to the anode and the cathode, the emissive layer comprising an emissive material comprising;

a first metal center;

a second metal center;

one bridging ligand, wherein the bridging ligand is coordinated to the first metal center and to the second metal center;

a first tridentate photoactive ligand bound to the first metal center, and

a second tridentate photoactive ligand bound to the second metal center.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the first photoactive ligand and the second photoactive ligand are held in proximity by the bridging ligand and the first and second metal centers allowing for a significant π

-π

interaction between the first and second photoactive ligands.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the first and second photoactive ligands have the same structure.

5. An organic light emitting device, comprising:

an anode;

a cathode; and

an emissive layer disposed between and electrically connected to the anode and the cathode, the emissive layer comprising an emissive material comprising;

a first metal center selected from the group consisting of d7, d8, and d9 metals;

a second metal center selected from the group consisting of d7, d8 and d9 metals; and

a bridging ligand coordinated to the first metal center and to the second metal center, wherein the emissive material does not include a photoactive ligand.

6. An organic light emitting device, comprising:

an anode;

a cathode; and

an emissive layer disposed between and electrically connected to the anode and the cathode, the emissive layer comprising a binuclear emissive material comprising;

a first metal center having coordination number of at least 3;

a second metal center having a coordination number of at least 3; and

a bridging ligand coordinated to the first metal center and to the second metal center, wherein the emissive material does not include a photoactive ligand.

7. An organic light emitting device, comprising:

an anode;

a cathode; and

an emissive layer disposed between and electrically connected to the anode and the cathode, the emissive layer comprising a binuclear emissive material comprising;

a first metal center having coordination number of at least 3;

a second metal center having a coordination number of at least 3; and

a bridging ligand coordinated to the first metal center and to the second metal center, wherein;

the first metal center and the second metal center have the same coordination number; and

the emissive material further comprises a plurality of bridging ligands coordinated to the first metal center and the second metal center, such that the number of bridging ligands is equal to the coordination number of the first metal center.

8. An organic light emitting device, comprising:

an anode;

a cathode; and

an emissive layer disposed between and electrically connected to the anode and the cathode, the emissive layer comprising an emissive material comprising;

a first metal center;

a second metal center; and

a bridging ligand coordinated to the first metal center and to the second metal center, wherein

the device has emission at a wavelength greater than 700 nm.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the first metal center is selected from the group consisting of d7, d8, and d9 metals, and the second metal center selected from the group consisting of d7, d8 and d9 metals.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the first metal center has a coordination number of at least 3, and the second metal center has a coordination number of at least 3.

11. The device of claim 8, further comprising a first photoactive ligand, coordinated to the first metal center, and a second photoactive ligand, coordinated to the second metal center.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the emissive material is charge neutral.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the metal centers are held in a co-facial configuration by the bridging ligand.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the first metal center is selected from the group consisting of metals having an atomic number greater than or equal to 40, and the second metal center is selected from the group consisting of metals having an atomic number greater than or equal to 40.