Electroluminescent materials and devices

1 - 37 . (canceled)

38 . An electroluminescent compound of formula

where M is a metal;

n is the valence of M;

R and R 1 which can be the same or different are selected from hydrogen,

substituted and unsubstituted hydrocarbyl groups such as substituted and unsubstituted aliphatic groups, substituted and unsubstituted aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures,

fluorocarbons such as trifluomethyl groups,

halogens such as fluorine;

thiophenyl groups; and

cyano.

39 . The compound of claim 38 , wherein R and/or R 1 are selected from

aliphatic, aromatic and heterocyclic groups,

alkoxy, aryloxy and carboxy groups,

substituted and substituted phenyl, fluorophenyl, biphenyl, phenanthrene, anthracene, naphthyl and fluorene groups,

alkyl groups such as t-butyl and

heterocyclic groups such as carbazole.

40 . The compound of claim 38 , wherein the metal M is selected from lithium, sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium, beryllium, magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, copper, silver, gold, zinc, cadmium, boron, aluminum, gallium, indium, germanium, tin (II), tin (IV), antimony (II), antimony (IV), lead (II), lead (IV) and metals of the first, second and third groups of transition metals in different valence states, manganese, iron, ruthenium, osmium, cobalt, nickel, palladium(II), palladium(IV), platinum(II), platinum(IV), cadmium, chromium. titanium, vanadium, zirconium, tantalum, molybdenum, rhodium, iridium, titanium, niobium, scandium and yttrium.

41 . The compound of claim 38 , wherein the metal M is zinc, cadmium, gallium or indium.

42 . An electroluminescent composition which consists essentially of the electroluminescent compound of claim 38 mixed with an effective amount of a fluorescent or phosphorescent dopant.

43 . The composition of claim 42 , wherein the dopant is selected from

(a) diphenylacridone, dimethylquinacridone, diphenylquinacridone, rubrene, coumarins, perylene, derivatives quinolates, porphoryin, porphines, pyrazalones and their derivatives;

(b) compounds of the formulae (A)

where

R 1 is chosen from the group consisting of hydrogen, carboxy, alkanoyl, alkoxycarbonyl, cyano, aryl, and a heterocyclic aromatic group,

R 2 is chosen from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, haloalkyl, carboxy, alkanoyl, and alkoxycarbonyl,

R 3 is chosen from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl,

R 4 is an amino group, and R 5 is hydrogen, or

R 1 and R 2 together form a fused carbocyclic ring, and/or

the amino group forming R 4 completes with at least one of R 3 and R 5 to form a fused ring;

(c) the compound of formula (B)

wherein Me are methyl groups;

(d) the compound of formula (C)

(e) a fluorescent coumain dye selected from the following:

Diethylamino-4-methylcoumarin;

4,6-Dimethyl-7-ethylaminocoumarin,

4-Methylumbelliferone;

3-(2′-Benzothiazolyl)-7-diethylaminocoumarin;

3-(2′-Benzimidazolyl)-7-N,N-diethylaminocoumarin;

7-Amino-3-phenylcoumarin,

3-(2′-N-Methylbenzimidazolyl)-7-N,Ndiethylaminocoumarin;

7-Diethylamino-4-trifluoromethylcoumarin;

2,3,5,6-1-H,4H-Tetrahydro-8-methylquinolazinocoumarin;

Cyclopenta[c]ljulolindino[9,10-3]-11H-pyran-1′-one;

7-Amino-4 methylcoumarin;

7-Dimethylaminocyclopenta[c]coumarin;

7-Amino-4-trifluoromethylcoumarin;

7-Dimethylamino-4-trifluoromethylcoumarin;

1,2,4,5,3H,6H,10H-Tetrahydro-8-trifluoromethyl-[9,9a,1gh]-quinolizino-10-one;

4-Methyl-7-(sulfomethylamino)-coumarin sodium salt;

7-Ethylamino-6-methyl-4-trifluoromethylcoumarin;

7-Dimethylamino-4-methylcoumarin;

1,2,4,5,3H,6H, 10HTetrahydrocarbethoxy[1]benzopyrano[9,9a,1-gh]quinolizino-10-one,

9-Acetyl-1,2,4,5,3H,6H,10H-tetrahydro[1]benzopyrano[9,9a,1-gh]-quinolizino-10-one;

9Cyano-1,2,4,5,3H,6H,10H-tetrahydro[1]benzopyrano[9,9a,1-gh]quinolizino-10-one;

9-(t-Butoxycarbonyl)-1,2,4,5,3H,6H,10H-tetrahydro[1]benzopyrano [9,9a,1-gh]quinolizino-10-one;

4-Methylpiperidino[3,2-g]coumarin;

4,2,0-Trifluoromethylpiperidino[3,2-g]coumarin;

9-Carboxy-1,2,4,5,3H,6H,10H-tetrahydro[1]benzopyrano[9,9a,1-gh]quinolizino-10-one; and

N-Ethyl-4 trifluoromethylpiperidino[3,2-g]; and

(f) a compound of the formula

where R is H, C 1 -C 4 alkyl, isopropyl or t-butyl.

44 . The composition of claim 42 , in which there is up to 10 mole % fluorescent material, based on moles of organo metallic complex.

45 . The composition of claim 42 , in which there is up to 1 mole percent fluorescent material, based on moles of organo metallic complex.

46 . Sew) The composition of claim 42 , in which there is less than 10 −3 mole percent fluorescent material, based on moles of organo metallic complex.

47 . An electroluminescent device which comprises (i) a first electrode, (ii) a second electrode, and (iii) a layer of an electroluminescent compound as claimed in claim 38 located between said first and second electrodes.

48 . The device of claim 47 , in which there is a layer of a hole transmitting material between the first electrode and the electroluminescent layer.

49 . The device of claim 48 , in which the hole transmitting material is an aromatic amine complex.

50 . The device of claim 49 in which the hole transmitting material is selected from

(a) a polyaromatic amine;

(b) a film of a polymer selected from poly(vinylcarbazole), N,N′ diphenyl-N,N′-bis(3-methylphenyl)-1,1′-biphenyl 4,4′-diamine (TPD), polyaniline, substituted polyanilines, polythiophenes, substituted polythiophenes, polysilanes and substituted polysilanes;

(c) a film of a compound of formula (VI) or (VII) herein or as in FIGS. 4 to 8 of the drawings;

(d) a copolymer of aniline, a copolymer of aniline with o anisidine, m-sulphanilic acid or o-aminophenol, or o-toluidine with o-aminophenol, o-ethylaniline, o-phenylene diamine or with an amino anthracene; and,

(e) a conjugated polymer selected from poly(p-phenylenevinylene)-PPV and copolymers such as PPV, poly(2,5 dialkoxyphenylene vinylene), poly(2-methoxy-5-(2 methoxypentyloxy-1,4-phenylene vinylene), poly(2-methoxypentyloxy)-1,4 phenylenevinylene), poly(2-methoxy-5-(2-dodecyloxy-1,4-phenylenevinylene) and 1 other poly(2,5 dialkoxyphenylenevinylenes) with at least one of the alkoxy groups being a long chain solubilising alkoxy group, poly fluorenes and oligofluorenes,-2 7 polyphenylenes and oligophenylenes, polyanthracenes and oligo anthracenes, ploythiophenes and oligothiophenes.

51 . The device of claim 47 , wherein the electroluminescent compound is mixed with a hole transmitting material.

52 . The device of claim 47 , wherein one of said first and second electrodes is a cathode and there is a layer of an electron transmitting material between the cathode and the electroluminescent compound layer.

53 . The device of claim 52 , wherein the electron transmitting material is a metal quinolate or a metal thioxinate.

54 . The device of claim 53 , wherein the metal quinolate is an aluminium quinolate, zirconium quinolate or lithium quinolate and the metal thioxinate is indium, gallium, or zinc thioxinate.

55 . The device of claim 52 , wherein the electron transmitting material is of formula Ax(DBM) n where Ax is a metal, DBM is dibenzoyl methane and n is the valence of Ax.

56 . The device of claim 52 , in which the electron transmitting material

(a) is a cyano anthracene such as 9,10 dicyano anthracene, a polystyrene sulphonate or a compound of formulae shown in FIG. 2 or 3 of the drawings or zirconium quinolate, lithium quinolate, indium, gallium, or zinc thioxinate; or

(b) is a metal thioxinate.

57 . The device of claim 47 in which the electroluminescent compound is mixed with an electron transmitting material.

58 . The device of claim 47 in which one of the electrodes is a transparent electricity conducting glass electrode.

59 . The device of claim 47 , in which one of the electrodes is selected from aluminium, calcium, lithium, magnesium and alloys thereof and silver/magnesium alloys.

60 . A method of making an electroluminescent compound as claimed in claim 38 which comprises reacting a salt of the metal M with 8-quinolinethiol or a derivative thereof.

61 . The method of claim 60 in which the reaction takes place in the presence of ethanol.

62 . The method of claim 60 , in which the salt is a chloride.