Highly Promoting the Performances of Polymer Light-Emitting Diodes via Control of the Residue of a Polar Solvent on an Emissive Layer.

The polar solvent dimethylformamide (DMF) was used to treat the emissive layer (EML) of polymer light-emitting diodes (PLEDs). The formation of a dipole layer at the EML/cathode interface after DMF treatment was proven, which led to a reduction of the electron-injection barrier. The dipole layer was formed mainly because of the intrinsic polarity of DMF. By control of the residue of DMF on the EML, a maximum enhancement of the peak luminous efficiency from 5.33 ± 0.57 to 12.05 ± 1.2 cd/A was achieved. This study suggests that solvent treatment is a simple and efficient approach to realizing highly efficient PLEDs with a high-work-function metal cathode.