Simple high efficiency deep blue phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes were developed using a mixed host of high triplet energy host materials. A hole transport type host was used both as the hole transport layer and host in the mixed host emitting layer and an electron transport type host was mixed with the hole transport type host in the emitting layer. A three organic layer device structure of the hole transport layer/emitting layer/electron transport layer gave high external quantum efficiency of 26.4% with a color coordinate of (0.14, 0.19). (C) 2012 Elsevier B. V. All rights reserved.