High Energy Emitters for Organic
Light-emitting Diodes

The generation of ultraviolet and blue light from molecular systems offers significant challenges for current device technologies such as organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). Short-wavelength light production ultimately requires new molecules, concepts, and methods for the efficient creation of blue and UV light from low energy sources.

• Non-covalent donor/acceptor pairs, (1) [Ru(dmb)₃]²⁺/An and (2) [Ru(dmb)₃]²⁺/DPA, where dmb = 4,4’-dimethyl-2,2’-bipyridine, An = anthracene, and DPA = 9,10-diphenylanthracene
• Optically dilute CH₃CN solution
• Argon ion dye laser or commercial laser pointer

Excitation using the 488 nm or 514.5 nm (green) light output of an argon ion dye laser (or the 532 nm output of a commercial laser pointer) of dilute deaerated solutions of 1 and 2 in CH₃CN produces anti-Stokes up-converted (i.e., high energy) singlet fluorescence (blue) from An or DPA in the near-visible region. In the case of DPA, the up-converted blue emission can be readily discerned by the naked eye with the aid of a short-pass filter.

Other Demos: Chemiluminescence of Luminol, Photoresists, High Energy Emitters for Organic Light-emitting Diodes, The Spectrum and Complementary Colors, "Titrations" with Dry Ice, The Red-White-Blue Clock