Electrochemiluminescence from Organic Emitters

Electrically induced light emission from conjugated organic molecules in a condensed phase has constituted one of the most investigated phenomena in the recent past for a variety of reasons. The considerable development achieved in this field has been mainly based on the search of new configurations for luminescent devices such as flexible large area light-emitting diodes, and in the synthesis of improved light-emitting organic materials. In the present review a particular aspect of electrically induced light-emission phenomena from organic materials is considered, namely, organic electrochemiluminescence, which is the phenomenon of light emission from excited organic molecules generated upon occurrence of electrochemically driven redox reactions. Such processes can produce luminescence in the visible range if the resulting oxidized/reduced forms of the conjugated organic molecules form excited species capable of emitting photons within the energy range 1.5−3.5 eV. Electrochemiluminescence from organic emitters in a condensed phase has led to the creation of devices such as light-emitting electrochemical cells, whose realization was decisive in the development of effective light-emitting devices. In the present review the description of the phenomena at the basis of organic electrochemiluminescence is given together with the description of materials and devices configurations for light-emitting electrochemical cells.