Synthesis and properties of PCPP-based conjugated polymers containing pendant carbazole units for LEDs

New poly(cyclopenta[def]phenanthrene) (PCPP)-based conjugated copolymers, containing carbazole units as pendants, were prepared as the electroluminescent (EL) layer in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to show that most of them have higher maximum brightness and EL efficiency. The prepared polymers, Poly(2,6-(4-(6-(Ncarbazolyl)-hexyl)-4-octyl-4H-cyclopenta[def]phenanthrene)) (CzPCPP10) and Poly(2,6-(4-(6-(N-carbazolyl)-hexyl)-4-octyl-4H-cyclopenta[def] phenanthrene))-co-(2,6-(4,4-dioctyl-4H-cyclopenta[def]phenanthrene)) (CzPCPP7 and CzPCPP5), were soluble in common organic solvents and used as the EL layer in light-emitting diodes (LEDs) of configuration with ITO/PEDOT/polymer/Ca/Al device. The polymers are thermally stable with glass transition temperature (T_g) at 77-100 °C and decomposition temperature (T_d) at 423-457 °C. The studies of cyclic voltammetry indicated same HOME levels in all polymers, although the ratios of carbazole units are different. In case of PLEDs with configuration of ITO/PEDOT/CzPCPPs/Ca/Al device, The EL maximum peaks were around 450 nm, which the turn-on voltages were about 6.0-6.5 V. The maximum luminescence of PLEDs using CzPCPP10 was over 4400 cd/m² at 6.5 V, which all of the maximum EL efficiency were 0.12 cd/A. The CIE coordinates of the EL spectrum of PLEDs using CzPCPP10 was (0.18, 0.08), which are quite close to that of the standard blue (0.14, 0.08) of NTSC.