Auto-catalysed crosslinking for next-generation OLED-design

The production of solution-processed OLEDs requires materials suitable for subsequent multilayer deposition. In the current study, we present an autocatalytic method to crosslink a luminescent copper(I)-complex with a polymeric backbone, in which the emitter itself acts as catalyst. In a showcase reaction demonstrating this concept for the first time, we combined a highly luminescent binuclear copper(I)-complex with a polystyrene derivative in order to prove the potential of the protocol. The luminescence properties were only slightly affected by the crosslinking, while the general stability increased drastically, as proven by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). OLED tests confirmed the fundamental suitability of the concept for device applications as well as for subsequent solution-based multilayer deposition.