Fluorene-based copolymers for color-stable blue light-emitting diodes

A series of random conjugated copolymers (PFO-HBT) derived from 9,9-dioctylfluorene (DOF) and 2-hexylbenzotriazole (HBT) is prepared by the palladium-catalyzed Suzuki coupling reaction with the feed HBT molar ratio around 1%, 5% and 15%. By copolymerizing 2-hexylbenzotriazole into the backbone of polyfluorene, an efficient colorfast blue light-emitting polymer system is developed. The device with the structure of ITO (indium tin oxide)/PEDOT/PVK/PFO-HBT1/Ba/Al exhibits the highest external quantum efficiency 1.62% with luminance efficiency of 2.69 cd/A, power efficiency of 1.25 lm/W and the CIE coordinates of (0.15, 0.17). The EL spectra are stable at the increased current density and continuous operation without significant change of CIE.