Increasing the luminous efficiency of an MEH-PPV based PLED using salmon DNA and single walled carbon nanotube

The combined effect of a salmon deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA)-based electron blocking layer and a single walled carbon nanotube (SWCNT) composite-based electron transport layer on the performance of a poly[2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) polymer light emitting diode (PLED) has been examined. The SWCNT network in the composite layer improves electron injection from cathode and the DNA blocks these high mobility electrons at the electron blocking layer–polymer interface, leading to high luminance from the device. The luminous efficiency of the PLED is increased ∼20 times compared to that of a PLED using only MEH-PPV.