Self-assembled nanocomposite polymer light-emitting diodes with improved efficiency and luminance

Indium tin oxide (ITO) transparent anode was modified using self-assembled monolayers and electrostatically assembled SiO2 nanoparticles. The modification of the ITO electrode with SiO2 nanoparticles dramatically improved electroluminescence properties of polymer light emitting devices (PLED). The charged nanoparticlee surface, which serves as a carrier trap at low current densities, induced a dipole moment across the electrode interface, effectively increasing the local electric field and promoting carrier injection. This effect enabled the ability to improve PLED efficiency with a single monolayer without including additional polymer layers or modifying the electrode work function.