Color tuning in polymer light-emitting diodes via various chromophore pendants on a polyurethane backbone

Abstract

We report a new class of luminescent polymers for easy color-tuning in polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). By introducing various luminescent chromophores as pendants onto the polyurethane backbones, we obtained a series of polymers with emissions covering the visible range. An analysis by using the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling model suggested that large barrier heights between the electrodes and the polymers mainly limited the device performance. With a proper choice of electrodes, therefore, we expect to develop full-color PLEDs by using this class of materials.