LUMINESCENT GOLD(III) COMPOUNDS, THEIR PREPARATION, AND LIGHT-EMITTING DEVICES CONTAINING SAME

Abstract

A class of luminescent gold(III) compounds with a tridentate ligand and at least one strong a-donating group having the chemical structure represented by the general formula (I): wherein R1-R4 each independently represent the group containing hydrogen, halogen, alkynyl, substituted alkynyl, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, substituted heteroaryl, alkoxyl, substituted alkoxyl, amino, substituted amino, cyano, nitro, alkylcarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, mono- or dialkylaminocarbonyl, alkylcarbonyloxy, arylcarbonyloxy, aryloxy, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyloxy group, and the like; X, Y and Z each independently represent a heteroatom or a carbon; C-X-C represents an aromatic or heterocyclic 5- or 6-membered ring; a and ss each independently represent a bridge for an aromatic or heterocyclic 5- or 6-membered ring or represent a break for non-cyclic moiety; C-X, C-Y and C-Z each independently represent a single bond or double bond; n represents a zero or an integer; p, q and r represent positive integers. These novel compounds are synthesized and found to exhibit photoluminescence and electroluminescence. Some of them are thermally stable for vacuum deposition and can be used as new light-emitting material, both in the role of emitter and dopant, of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) to give high brightness and efficiency. Organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) employing such luminescent compounds fabricated by vacuum deposition, spin coating or other device fabrication methods are described. The color of the electroluminescence changes upon variation of applied DC voltage, and the electroluminescence wavelength shifts to the red upon an increase in the dopant concentration.