Blue light-emitting, electron-transporting materials based on ethynyl-linked D–A systems

Two ethynyl-linked π-conjugated compounds with bright blue photoluminescence property were designed, synthesized and fully characterized. The main structures of them contain a pyrene as electron acceptor, a carbazole as electron donor linked by an ethynyl unit. This D–A system has increased electron mobility and high quantum yields. One of the compounds was sandwiched as luminescent in single- and double-layer devices. By incorporating Alq as electron transport layer, the double-layer device exhibits dramatically improved performances compared with the single-layer device. The compounds are promising blue light-emitting and electron-transport materials.