Fabrication of an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) from a two-dimensional lead(II) coordination polymer

A new two-dimensional lead(II) coordination polymer, {[Pb((μ-Q)I]2}n, was prepared by reacting lead(II) iodide with 8-hydroxyquinoline (HQ) in a fast and facile process. The complex was fully characterized based on its 1H NMR, IR and UV spectra, single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis and elemental analysis. The crystal structure showed that the compound is a two-dimensional coordination polymer consisting of dimeric units with a building block of [Pb2(μ-Q)2I2]. The lead atoms are four-coordinated, and the HQ ligand acted as a bidentate chelate, along with a bridging phenoxy oxygen and iodine atoms. Application of the prepared complex in the fabrication of OLEDs in two different concentrations has been demonstrated. The current–voltage (I–V) characteristics and the photoluminescence (PL) and electroluminescence (EL) properties of the complex have been investigated. The EL of the compound has exhibited a green emission at 555 and 532 nm for ratios of, 100:20 and 100:35 (PVK/[Pb((μ-Q)I]2), respectively.