An external quantum efficiency of >20% from solution-processed poly(dendrimer) organic light-emitting diodes

Abstract Controlling the orientation of the emissive dipole has led to a renaissance of organic light-emitting diode (OLED) research, with external quantum efficiencies (EQEs) of >30% being reported for phosphorescent emitters. These highly efficient OLEDs are generally manufactured using evaporative methods and are comprised of small-molecule heteroleptic phosphorescent iridium(III) complexes blended with a host and additional layers to balance charge injection and transport. Large area OLEDs for lighting and display applications would benefit from low-cost solution processing, provided that high EQEs could be achieved. Here, we show that poly(dendrimer)s consisting of a non-conjugated polymer backbone with iridium(III) complexes forming the cores of first-generation dendrimer side chains can be co-deposited with a host by solution processing to give highly efficient devices. Simple bilayer devices comprising the emissive layer and an electron transport layer gave an EQE of >20% at luminances of up to ≈300 cd/m², showing that polymer engineering can enable alignment of the emissive dipole of solution-processed phosphorescent materials.