Binuclear compounds

• US 7,824,778 B2
• Filed: 05/15/2006
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: University of Southern California
• Original Assignee: University of Southern California
• Inventors: Alleyne, Bert, Thompson, Mark E., Djurovich, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): YAMNITZKY, MARIE ROSE
• Application Number:
  US11/435,210
• Publication Number:
  US 20060269785A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,632 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 d8 metal center;

a second d8 metal; and

one or more bridging ligands, wherein each bridging ligand is coordinated to the first metal center and to the second metal center;

wherein the distance between the first and second metal centers is less than 4 Å

, and wherein the first and second metal centers are held in a co-facial configuration by the one or more bridging ligands.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the first and second metal centers are held in a square planar configuration.

19. The device of claim 1, wherein the emissive material has two or more bridging ligands.

20. The device of claim 1, wherein the emissive material has exactly four bridging ligands.

21. The device of claim 1, further comprising a photoactive ligand.

22. The device of claim 21, wherein the emissive material has exactly two bridging ligands and exactly two photoactive ligands.

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 d8 metal center;

a second d8 metal center; 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.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the distance between the first and second metal centers is 4 Å

or less.

5. The device of claim 4, wherein the first and second metal centers are held in a co-facial configuration by the bridging ligand.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the first and second metal centers are held in a square planar configuration.

7. The device of claim 2, wherein the bridging ligand has the structure:

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the bridging ligand is

9. The device of claim 2, wherein the first and second metal centers each has four coordination sites, and wherein the emissive material further comprises four bridging ligands coordinated to the first and second metal centers.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the first and second metal centers are each platinum.

11. The device of claim 9, wherein the emissive material has the following structure:

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the emissive material is the following:

3. 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 d8 metal center;

a second d8 metal center; 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;

wherein the first and second metal centers are held in a co-facial configuration by the bridging ligand.

13. The device of claim 3, wherein the first and second metal centers are held in a square planar configuration.

14. The device of claim 3, wherein the distance between the first and second metal centers is 4 Å

or less.

15. The device of claim 3, wherein the bridging ligand has the structure:

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the bridging ligand is

17. The device of claim 3, wherein the first and second metal centers are each platinum.