Novel main-chain poly-carbazoles as hole and electron transport materials in polymer light-emitting diodes

We report the use of substituted main-chain poly-carbazoles as hole and electron transporting polymers for electroluminescence (EL) applications. The polymers are soluble in common organic solvents and high quality thin films are obtained by spin coating method. A single layer of hole or electron transfer devices with indium tin oxide anode and aluminum cathode shows current densities up to 40–50 mA/cm2, respectively, but no visible emission from either layer. Double-layer structures combining the hole and electron transfer polymers show strong emission originated from the electron transfer layer. The peak of double-layer EL spectrum is about 30 nm redshifted to the peak of corresponding photoluminescence spectrum, which may be due to the formation of an exciplex between the two layers.