Electroluminescent compounds containing exciton conducting compound

1. A lighting unit with a light emitting layer, comprising at least one electron transporting compound, at least one hole transporting compound and at least one rare earth metal ion compound, wherein the light emitting layer further comprises at least one exciton conducting compound.

2. The lighting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one exciton conducting compound has an energetically lower triplet niveau than either the at least one electron transporting compound, the at least one hole transporting compound or both.

3. The lighting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one exciton conducting compound has an energetically higher triplet niveau than a resonance level of the at least one rare earth metal ion compound.

4. The lighting unit according to claim 1 , wherein an oxidation potential in V against vacuum level of the at least one exciton conducting compound is lower than the oxidation potential of the at least one hole transporting compound and a reduction potential in V against vacuum level of the at least one exciton conducting compound is higher than a reduction potential of the at least one electron transporting compound.

5. The lighting unit according to claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the light emitting layer is <0 nm and 60.

6. The lighting unit according to claim 1 , wherein a concentration of at least one exiton conducting compound in the light emitting layer is higher than a concentration of either the at least one electron transporting compound, the at least one hole transporting compound or higher than both concentrations of the at least one electron transporting compound and the at least one hole transporting compound.

7. The lighting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one hole-transporting compound is selected from a group consisting of molecules with the general structure of formula I, formula II, formula III or mixtures thereof:

wherein R1, R2 and/or R3 are independently selected out of a group comprising hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, perhalogen, formyl, carboxy- and/or carbonyl derivatives, alkyl, cycloalkyl, halogenalkyl, aryl, arylene, halogenaryl, heteroaryl, heteroarylene, heterocycloalkylene, heterocycloalkyl, halogenheteroaryl, alkenyl, halogenalkenyl, alkinyl, halogenalkinyl, keto, ketoaryl, ketohalogenaryl, ketoheteroaryl, ketoalkyl, ketohalogenalkyl, ketoalkenyl, ketohalogenalkenyl, phosphoalkyl, phosphonate, phosphate, phosphine, phosphine oxide, phosphoryl, phosphoaryl, sulphonyl, sulphoalkyl, sulphoarenyl, sulphonate, sulphate, sulphone, amine,

wherein R1, R2 and/or R3 are independently selected out of a group comprising hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, perhalogen, formyl, carboxy- and/or carbonyl derivatives, alkyl, cycloalkyl, halogenalkyl, aryl, arylene, halogenaryl, heteroaryl, heteroarylene, heterocycloalkylene, heterocycloalkyl, halogenheteroaryl, alkenyl, halogenalkenyl, alkinyl, halogenalkinyl, keto, ketoaryl, ketohalogenaryl, ketoheteroaryl, ketoalkyl, ketohalogenalkyl, ketoalkenyl, ketohalogenalkenyl, phosphoalkyl, phosphonate, phosphate, phosphine, phosphine oxide, phosphoryl, phosphoaryl, sulphonyl, sulphoalkyl, sulphoarenyl, sulphonate, sulphate, sulphone, amine,

wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and/or R6 are independently selected out of a group comprising hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, perhalogen, formyl, carboxy- and/or carbonyl derivatives, alkyl, cycloalkyl, halogenalkyl, aryl, arylene, halogenaryl, heteroaryl, heteroarylene, heterocycloalkylene, heterocycloalkyl, halogenheteroaryl, alkenyl, halogenalkenyl, alkinyl, halogenalkinyl, keto, ketoaryl, ketohalogenaryl, ketoheteroaryl, ketoalkyl, ketohalogenalkyl, ketoalkenyl, ketohalogenalkenyl, phosphoalkyl, phosphonate, phosphate, phosphine, phosphine oxide, phosphoryl, phosphoaryl, sulphonyl, sulphoalkyl, sulphoarenyl, sulphonate, sulphate, sulphone, amine.

8. The lighting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one electron transporting compound is selected from a group consisting of molecules with the general structure of formula IV, formula V, formula VI, formula VII or mixtures thereof:

wherein R1, R2 and/or R3 are selected from a group comprising hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, perhalogen, formyl, carboxy- and/or carbonyl derivatives, alkyl, cycloalkyl, halogenalkyl, aryl, arylene, halogenaryl, heteroaryl, heteroarylene, heterocycloalkylene, heterocycloalkyl, halogenheteroaryl, alkenyl, halogenalkenyl, alkinyl, halogenalkinyl, keto, ketoaryl, ketohalogenaryl, ketoheteroaryl, ketoalkyl, ketohalogenalkyl, ketoalkenyl, ketohalogenalkenyl, phosphoalkyl, phosphonate, phosphate, phosphine, phosphine oxide, phosphoryl, phosphoaryl, sulphonyl, sulphoalkyl, sulphoarenyl, sulphonate, sulphate, sulphone, amine,

wherein R1, R2 and/or R3 are independently selected from a group comprising hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, perhalogen, formyl, carboxy- and/or carbonyl derivatives, alkyl, cycloalkyl, halogenalkyl, aryl, arylene, halogenaryl, heteroaryl, heteroarylene, heterocycloalkylene, heterocycloalkyl, halogenheteroaryl, alkenyl, halogenalkenyl, alkinyl, halogenalkinyl, keto, ketoaryl, ketohalogenaryl, ketoheteroaryl, ketoalkyl, ketohalogenalkyl, ketoalkenyl, ketohalogenalkenyl, phosphoalkyl, phosphonate, phosphate, phosphine, phosphine oxide, phosphoryl, phosphoaryl, sulphonyl, sulphoalkyl, sulphoarenyl, sulphonate, sulphate, sulphone, amine,

wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, R14 and/or R15 are independently selected from a group comprising hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, perhalogen, formyl, carboxy- and/or carbonyl derivatives, alkyl, cycloalkyl, halogenalkyl, aryl, arylene, halogenaryl, heteroaryl, heteroarylene, heterocycloalkylene, heterocycloalkyl, halogenheteroaryl, alkenyl, halogenalkenyl, alkinyl, halogenalkinyl, keto, ketoaryl, ketohalogenaryl, ketoheteroaryl, ketoalkyl, ketohalogenalkyl, ketoalkenyl, ketohalogenalkenyl, phosphoalkyl, phosphonate, phosphate, phosphine, phosphine oxide, phosphoryl, phosphoaryl, sulphonyl, sulphoalkyl, sulphoarenyl, sulphonate, sulphate, sulphone, amine,

wherein R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, R6, R7, R8, R9, R10, R11, R12, R13, R14, R15 and/or R16 are independently selected from a group comprising hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, perhalogen, formyl, carboxy- and/or carbonyl derivatives, alkyl, cycloalkyl, halogenalkyl, aryl, arylene, halogenaryl, heteroaryl, heteroarylene, heterocycloalkylene, heterocycloalkyl, halogenheteroaryl, alkenyl, halogenalkenyl, alkinyl, halogenalkinyl, keto, ketoaryl, ketohalogenaryl, ketoheteroaryl, ketoalkyl, ketohalogenalkyl, ketoalkenyl, ketohalogenalkenyl, phosphoalkyl, phosphonate, phosphate, phosphine, phosphine oxide, phosphoryl, phosphoaryl, sulphonyl, sulphoalkyl, sulphoarenyl, sulphonate, sulphate, sulphone, amine.

9. The lighting unit according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one exciton conducting compound is selected from a group consisting of molecules with the general structure of formula VIII or mixtures thereof:

wherein R1, R2, R3 and/or R4 are independently selected out of a group comprising hydrogen, hydroxyl, halogen, perhalogen, formyl, carboxy- and/or carbonyl derivatives, alkyl, cycloalkyl, halogenalkyl, aryl, arylene, halogenaryl, heteroaryl, heteroarylene, heterocycloalkylene, heterocycloalkyl, halogenheteroaryl, alkenyl, halogenalkenyl, alkinyl, halogenalkinyl, keto, ketoaryl, ketohalogenaryl, ketoheteroaryl, ketoalkyl, ketohalogenalkyl, ketoalkenyl, ketohalogenalkenyl, phosphoalkyl, phosphonate, phosphate, phosphine, phosphine oxide, phosphoryl, phosphoaryl, sulphonyl, sulphoalkyl, sulphoarenyl, sulphonate, sulphate, sulphone, amine.

10. A lighting unit comprising a light emitting layer according to claim 1 for the use in

household applications

shop lighting,

home lighting,

accent lighting,

spot lighting,

theater lighting,

fiber-optics applications,

projection systems,

self-lit displays,

pixelated displays,

segmented displays,

warning signs,

medical lighting applications,

indicator signs, and

decorative lighting.

11. The lighting unit of claim 1 , wherein the at least one exciton conducting compound is configured to prevent a double or multiple excitation of the at least one rare earth metal ion compound.

12. The lighting unit of claim 1 , wherein the at least one exciton conducting compound is configured to remove excitation from the at least one rare earth metal ion compound when the at least one rare earth metal ion compound is already excited.

13. The lighting unit of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the light emitting layer is ≧5 nm and ≦40.

14. The lighting unit of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the light emitting layer is ≧10 nm and ≦30.