Highly alkoxylated PPV copolymers for PLEDs: Syntheses, optical properties and enhancement of device lifetimes

A series of solution processible light-emitting copolymers composed of tetraalkoxy-phenylenevinylene (TALK-PPV) and dialkoxy-phenylenevinylene (DALK-PPV) has been synthesized using the Gilch polymerization route. Thermal, optical and electrochemical properties of the synthesized copolymers [poly(TALKPV-co-DALKPV)s] have been investigated and compared with those of each homopolymers, poly[2-(3,7-dimethyloctyloxy)-3,5,6-trimethoxy]-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (TALK-PPV) and poly[2-(3′,7′-dimethyloctyloxy)-5-methoxy-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (DALK-PPV). The synthesized copolymers showed a high molecular weight (Mn=∼2–3.0×105) and narrow polydispersity indices (∼3). Electroluminescent devices using the copolymers as the emissive layer have been fabricated with a configuration of ITO/PEDOT:PSS/polymers/Ca/Al. Interestingly the copolymer devices resulted in a more than 4-fold increase in device lifetime than the homopolymers, which might be due to the highly reduced steric hindrance of the polymer backbone by introducing DALKPV units between the adjacent highly alkoxylated TALKPV repeating units in the polymer backbone.