Electroluminescent Materials and Devices

1 .- 40 . (canceled)

41 . An electroluminescent composition comprising a dopant, which is an aromatic substituted anthracene compound, mixed with a host material.

42 . The composition of claim 41 , wherein the aromatic substituted anthracene compound has a general chemical formula selected from the group consisting of:

wherein Ar is an aromatic or substituted aromatic group and R 1 and R 2 , which may be the same or different, are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen; substituted and unsubstituted aliphatic groups; substituted and unsubstituted aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures; fluorocarbons; halogens; and thiophenyl groups.

43 . The composition of claim 41 , wherein the anthracene compound is selected from the group consisting of:

9,10-bis-(2,4-dimethylbenzyl)-anthracene;

9,10-bis-(2,5-dimethylbenzyl)-anthracene;

1,4-bis-(2,3,5,6-tetramethylbenzyl)-anthracene;

9,10-bis-(4-methoxybenzyl)-anthracene;

9,10-bis-(9H-fluoren-9-yl)-anthracene;

2,6-di-t-butyl-9,10-bis-(2,5-dimethylbenzyl)-anthracene; and

2,6-di-t-butyl-9,10-bis-naphthalen-1-ylmethul-anthracene.

44 . The composition of claim 41 , wherein the composition contains about 10 −3 to 10 mole percent of the aromatic substituted anthracene compound, based on the moles of host material in the composition.

45 . The composition of claim 41 , wherein the host material is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) aromatic compounds having the general chemical formula:

wherein R 1 and R 2 , which may be the same or different, are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen; substitute and unsubstituted aliphatic groups; substituted and unsubstituted aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures; fluorocarbons; halogens; and thiophenyl groups;

(b) compounds having the general chemical formula:

where:

M is a metal;

n is the valence of M;

R 1 , R 2 and R 3 , which may be the same or different, are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen; hydrocarbyl groups; substituted and unsubstituted aliphatic groups; substituted and unsubstituted aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures; fluorocarbons; halogens; thiophenyl groups; and nitrile; alternatively R 1 and R 3 can form ring structures, and R 1 , R 2 and R 3 can be copolymerisable with a monomer, and,

(c) compounds having the general chemical formula:

where Ph is an unsubstituted or substituted phenyl group in which the substituents can be the same or different and are independently selected from hydrogen, substituted and unsubstituted aliphatic groups; substituted and unsubstituted aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures; fluorocarbon; halogens; and thiophenyl groups; R, R 1 and R 2 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, substituted and unsubstituted aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring sues; fluorine; fluorbons; halogens; thiophenyl groups; and nitrile.

46 . The composition of claim 41 , wherein the host comprises a material having the chemical formula

47 . An electroluminescent device which comprises (i) a first electrode; (ii) a second electrode; and (iii) a layer of an electroluminescent composition as claimed in claim 41 located between said first and second electrodes.

48 . An electroluminescent device according to claim 47 wherein the layer of the electroluminescent composition is a film of less than about 1 μm in thickness.

49 . An electroluminescent device as claimed in claim 47 further wherein a layer of a hole transiting material is located between the first electrode and the electroluminescent layer, and wherein the hole transmitting material comprises a material selected from the group consisting of

(a) an aromatic amine selected from the group consisting of α-NBP, TPD, mTADATA, and other polyaromatic amines;

(b) a film of a polymer selected from poly(vinylcarbazole); N5N′-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 copolymer of aniline; a copolymer of aniline with o-anisidine, m-sulphanilic acid or o-aminophenol; and a copolylmer of o-toluidine with o-aminophenol, o-ethylaniline, o-phenylene diamine or with an amino anthracene; and,

(d) a conjugated polymer selected from the group consisting of poly (p-phenylenevinylene)-PPV and copolymers; 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); other poly(2,5 dialkoxyphenylenevinylenes) wherein at least one of the alkoxy groups is a long chain solubilising alkoxy group; poly fluorenes; oligofluorenes; polyphenylenes; oligophenylenes; polyanthracenes; oligo anthracenes; polythiophenes; and oligothiophenes.

50 . An electroluminescent device according to claim 47 , further wherein a layer of an electron transmitting material is located between the cathode and the electroluminescent compound layer, and the electron transmitting layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a metal quinolate;

(b) a metal thioxinate;

(c) a material having the general chemical formula Mx(DBM)n where Mx is a metal, DBM is dibenzoyl methane and n is the valency of Mx;

(d) a cyano anthracene; and,

(e) Bebq, ZnPBO, ZnPBT, DTVb1, t-BuPVD, BND, OXD-7, TAZ and OXD-Star.

51 . An electroluminescent device according to claim 50 wherein the electron transmitting layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of aluminum quinolate, zirconium quinolate, lithium quinolate, zinc thioxinate, cadmium thioxinate, gallium thioxinate and indium thioxinate.

52 . An electroluminescent device according to claim 50 wherein the electron transmitting layer comprises a material selected from the group consisting of 9,10 dicyano anthracene and polystyrene sulphonate.