Synthesis and characterization of new electroluminescent molecules containing carbazole and oxadiazole units

The synthesis of new molecules containing both electron and hole transporter units is reported. This class of compounds, named OC, may be used for assembling electroluminescent devices made by a single organic layer. The active moieties are the carbazole, as the hole transporter unit, and the oxadiazole, as the electron transporter unit. The chemical formulation and the complex geometry of the molecular frame allow good solubility in chlorinate solvents and the preparation of homogeneous films by spinning technique. Photoluminescence of molecules, both in solution and in film, occurs in the blue region of visible spectra, the exact peak position of emission depending on the pendants attached to the oxadiazole unit. The electroluminescence occurs in a higher wavelength region, with a blue-green emission. The electroluminescent devices consist in the simple sequence ITO-OC-Al and ITO-PEDOT-OC-Al. (C) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.