Efficient green organic light-emitting diodes with stericly hindered coumarin dopants

We have discovered two stericly hindered green coumarin derivatives which showed significantly better thermal stability and overall electroluminescence (EL) performance than those of the corresponding 3-(2-benzothiazolyl)-7-(diethylamino)-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one (C-6) and 10-(2-benzothiazolyl)-1,1,7,7-tetramethyl- 2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-1H,5H,11H-benzo[l]pyrano[6,7, 8-ij] quinolizin-11-one (C-545T). The strategic incorporation of bulky spacer t-butyl groups in these dopants considerably delays the onset of concentration quenching. In particular, 10-[2(5,7-di-t-butyl)benzothiazolyl]-1,1,7,7-tetramethyl-2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-1H,5H,11H-benzo-[l]pyrano[6,7,8-ij]quinolizin-11-one (C-545TB) with its superb thermal stability (T-g=142 degreesC; T-d=327 degreesC), high luminance efficiency (similar to 13 cd/A), good Commission Interationale d'Eclairage (CIE) coordinates (x=0.30; y=0.64) and a nearly flat EL efficiency dependence on drive current stands out as one of the best choice of green dopants for use in the passive-matrix organic light-emitting diode displays. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.