Push-Pull Design of Bis(tridentate) Ruthenium(II) Polypyridine Chromophores as Deep Red Light Emitters in Light-Emitting Electrochemical Cells

Light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) with a simple device structure were prepared by using heteroleptic bis(tridentate) ruthenium(II) complexes [1](PF6)(2)-[3](PF6)(2) as emitters. The push-pull substitution shifts the emission energy to low energy, into the NIR region. The devices emit deep red light up to a maximum emission wavelength of 755 nm [CIE (International Commission on Illumination) coordinates: x = 0.731, y = 0.269 for [3](PF6)(2)], which, to the best of our knowledge, is the lowest emission energy for LECs containing bis(tridentate) ruthenium(II) complexes. A device structure of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/ruthenium(II) complex/Ag was used, and the thickness of the emitting layer was measured by AFM [ITO: indium tin oxide, PEDOT: poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene), PSS: poly(styrenesulfonate), AFM: atomic force microscopy]. To enhance the external quantum efficiency (EQE), cells were fabricated with and without poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) as additive in the emitting layer.