Organic element for electroluminescent devices

1. An electroluminescent device comprising a cathode, an anode, and therebetween a layer containing a host material consisting essentially of one or more selected from the group consisting of anthracene compounds and metal chelated oxinoid compounds, the layer further containing an ethynyl compound of Formula (1):

A-C≡C-B  (1)

in an amount sufficient to stabilize the device wherein A and B represent independently selected fused carbocyclic ring groups, wherein the layer contains a third material which emits light, wherein the third material is selected from the group consisting of derivatives of anthracene, tetracene, xanthene, perylene, rubrene, coumarin, rhodamine, quinacridone, dicyanomethylenepyran, thiopyran, polymethine, pyrylium, thiapyrylium, periflanthene, indenoperylene, bis(azinyl)amine boron compounds, bis(azinyl)methane compounds, and carbostyryl compounds

wherein the ethynyl compound is present in an amount of 0.5–20%, the light emitting third component is present in an amount of 0.1 to 10 wt %, and the balance is the host.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the ring groups is an anthracene group.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the ring groups is a phenanthrene group.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein at least one of the ring groups is a naphthalene group.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein A represents an anthracene group and B represents a naphthalene group.

6. The device of claim 1 wherein A and B represent independently selected anthracene groups.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the ethynyl compound comprises at least six aromatic rings.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the ethynyl compound comprises at least eight aromatic rings.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the wherein ethynyl compound is represented by Formula (2):

wherein:

each v independently represents a substituent, provided adjacent substituents may combine to form rings;

m is 0–4; and

v 1 and v 2 independently represent hydrogen or a substituent.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein v 1 and v 2 represent independently selected aromatic ring groups.

11. The device of claim 9 wherein v 1 and v 2 represent independently selected phenyl ring groups.

12. The device of claim 1 wherein the third material emits green light.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the third material is a quinacridone compound.

14. The device of claim 1 wherein the third material is represented by Formula (4),

wherein:

s 1 –s 10 independently represent hydrogen or an independently selected substituent, provide adjacent substituents may combine to form rings; and

s 11 and s 12 independently represent an alkyl group or an aromatic group.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein s 1 –s 10 represent hydrogen, and s 11 and s 12 each represent an independently selected phenyl group.

16. The device of claim 1 wherein the third material is a coumarin compound.

17. The device of claim 16 wherein the third material is represented by Formula (5),

wherein:

w 11 and w 12 represent an independently selected substituent, provided w 11 and w 12 may combine with each other or with w 13 or w 14 to form a ring;

w 13 –w 16 independently represent hydrogen or an independently selected substituent, provided adjacent substituents may combine to form rings; and

w 17 represents the atoms necessary to complete an heteroaromatic ring.

18. The device of claim 17 wherein the third material is represented by Formula (5), wherein:

w 11 and w 13 as well as w 12 and w 14 combine to form independently selected saturated rings, which may be further substituted; and

w 17 represents the atoms necessary to complete a 2-benzothiazoyl group.

19. The device of claim 1 wherein the compound of Formula (1) is present at a level of between 0.5 and 8% by weight of the layer.

20. A display comprising the electroluminescent device of claim 1 .

21. An area lighting device comprising the electroluminescent device of claim 1 .

22. A process for emitting light comprising applying a potential across the device of claim 1 .