Journal of the American Chemical Society, Vol.129, No.29, 9032-9036, 2007
Thermoluminescence and a new organic light-emitting diode (OLED) based on triplet-triplet fluorescence of the trimethylenemethane (TMM) biradical
The results of an investigation of the thermoluminescence (TL) and electroluminescence (EL) of arylated methylenecyclopropanes 1, systems whose photoinduced electron-transfer (PET) chemistry has been thoroughly studied, are described. In both the TL and EL experiments with 1, electronically excited triplet trimethylenemethane (TMM) biradicals (3)2(center dot center dot) are generated by back electron transfer (charge recombination) of a TMM radical cation (hole) 2(center dot+), formed by isomerization of the substrate radical cation (hole, 1(center dot+)). The application of this chemistry to the design of new organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) is described. The mechanistic features of this reaction system have the potential of overcoming significant problems (e.g., quantum efficiency, difficulty obtaining long wavelength emission, and device durability) normally associated with OLEDs that rely on the use of organic closed-shell hydrocarbons.