Photoluminescence and electroluminescence of a tripodal compound containing 7-diethylamino-coumarin moiety

A novel tripodal compound, tris[2-(7-diethylamino-coumarin-3-carboxamide)ethyl]amine (Tren-C), was synthesized and characterized by elemental analysis, infrared and 1H-NMR spectra. The photoluminescent (PL) and electroluminescent properties of Tren-C were investigated. Tren-C exhibits different colour emissions in solid states and solutions. The electroluminescence devices comprising vacuum vapour-deposited films using the compound as a dopant were fabricated, showing blue emissions that are identical to its PL spectrum in chloroform solutions. With the device structure of indium tin oxide (ITO)/4, 4', 4''-tris-N-naphthyl-N-phenylamino-triphenylamine (2-TNATA) (5 nm)/N, N'-bis-(naphthyl)-N, N'-diphenyl-1, 1'-biphenyl-4, 4'-diamine (NPB) (40 nm)/4, 4'-bis(9-carbazolyl) biphenyl (CBP) : Tren-C (0.5 wt%, 30 nm)/2-(4-biphenylyl)-5-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-1, 3, 4-oxadiazole (Bu-PBD) (30 nm)/LiF (1 nm)/Al (100 nm), a maximum external quantum efficiency of 2.85%, a maximum luminous efficiency of 3.85 cd A-1 and a maximum luminance of 1450 cd m-2 are realized.