Phosphorescence color tuning of oxadiazole-based iridium(III) complexes for organic light emitting diode

The new heteroleptic iridium complexes bearing 2-(5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)phenolate (ODZ), were synthesized and characterized for application to organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). As main ligands (C^N), the anions of 2-phenylpyridine (ppy), 2-phenylquinoline (pq) and 2-(2,4-difluorophenyl)pyridine (F2-ppy) were chelated to the iridium center and 2-(5-phenyl-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-yl)phenolate (ODZ) was introduced as an ancillary ligand for luminescence modulation of their iridium complexes. We expected that the relative energy levels of the main and ancillary ligands in the complexes could lead to emission color tuning and luminous efficiency improvement by possible inter-ligand energy transfer (ILET). The photoabsorption, photoluminescence and electroluminescence of the complexes were studied. Ir(F2-ppy)2(ODZ), Ir(ppy)2(ODZ) and Ir(pq)2(ODZ) exhibited the photoluminescence maxima between 505-610 nm at room temperature in CH2Cl2, depending on both main and ancillary ligands. The longer pi conjugation in the cyclometallating pq ligands leads to the bathochromic shift in luminescence of their iridium complexes. The electroluminescent properties of the complexes were influenced by ILET.