Electroluminescent Materials and Devices

1 - 34 . (canceled)

35 . A method of forming an electroluminescent device which includes at least a substrate that can function as an anode, the method comprising the step of depositing by spin coating a layer of an electroluminescent organometallic complex on the substrate that functions as the anode wherein the substrate has previously been coated with a layer of a polymer.

36 . The method of claim 35 wherein the polymer is an electrically conductive polymer which can be dissolved in a solvent.

37 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the polymer is a conjugated polymer.

38 . The method of claim 35 , wherein the polymer is a polyethylene dioxythiophene polystyrene sulphonate.

39 . The method of claim 35 , further comprising the step of depositing a polymer layer having a thickness of about 50 to 150 nanometers on the substrate.

40 . The method of claim 35 , further wherein there is deposited on the polymer a layer of a material selected from the group consisting of:

a phthalocyanine;

a porphoryin;

a compound having the general chemical formula

a metal diamino dianthracene having the general chemical formula

where Ar 1 , Ar 2 Ar 3 and Ar 4 are the same or different aromatic groups.

41 . The method of claim 35 , comprising the steps of sequentially depositing on a transparent anode the following layers:

(1) the layer of a polymer;

(2) a layer of a hole transporting material;

(3) a layer comprising an electroluminescent organometallic complex;

(4) a layer of an electron transmitting material; and

(5) a cathode,

wherein at least the layer of the electroluminescent organometallic complex is deposited by spin coating.

42 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the step of depositing a layer of a hole transporting material comprises depositing a layer of a hole transporting material selected from the group consisting of α-NBP, 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.

43 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the step of depositing a layer of a hole transporting material is followed by a step of depositing on the hole transporting material any of the following materials:

(a) a complex of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium or platinum;

(b) a metallic complex having a general chemical formula selected from the group consisting of:

where:

R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 and R 6 can be the same or different and are independently selected from hydrogen; substituted and unsubstituted hydrocarbyl groups; substituted and unsubstituted aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures; fluorocarbons; halogens; and thiophenyl groups;

R 1 , R 2 and R 3 can also form substituted and unsubstituted fused aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures and can be copolymerisable with a monomer while R 4 and R 5 can be the same or different and are independently selected from hydrogen; substituted and unsubstituted hydrocarbyl groups; substituted and unsubstituted aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures; fluorocarbons; halogens; and thiophenyl groups;

R 1 , R 2 and R 3 can also form substituted and unsubstituted fused aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures and can be copolymerisable with a monomer;

M is ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium or platinum, and n+2 is the valence of M;

(c) an organometallic complex having the general chemical formula M(L) n or MO(L) n-2 , where M is a metal in a valence state n of greater than 3 and L is an organic ligand, said ligands L being the same or different;

(d) zirconium quinolate; and,

(e) an electroluminescent compound doped with a minor amount of a fluorescent material as a dopant.

44 . The method of claim 41 , wherein the step of depositing a layer of an electron transmitting material comprises depositing a layer of electron transmitting material selected from the group consisting of aluminum quinolate; zirconium quinolate; lithium quinolate; Bebq; Balq1; ZnPBO; ZnPBT; DTVb1; t-Bu-PBD; BNDn OXD-7a; 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; a cyanoanthracene; and a polystyrene sulphonate.