Organic electroluminescent materials and devices

1. A compound having a formula M(L A ) x (L B ) y (L C ) z : wherein,

the ligand L A is

the ligand L B is

the ligand L C is

M is a metal having an atomic number greater than 40;

x is 1, or 2;

y is 0, 1, or 2;

z is 0, 1, or 2;

x+y+z is the oxidation state of the metal M;

A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , A 4 , A 5 , A 6 , A 7 , and A 8 are carbon or nitrogen;

at least one of A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , A 4 , A 5 , A 6 , A 7 , or A 8 is nitrogen;

ring B is bonded to ring A through a C—C bond;

M is bonded to ring A through a M-C bond;

X is selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, CRR′, and NR 1 ;

rings C and D are each independently a 5 or 6-membered carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring;

R 3 represents mono, or di-substitution, or no substitution;

R 2 , R C , and R D each independently represent mono, di, tri, or tetra-substitution, or no substitution;

R 4 represents mono, di, tri, or tetra-substitution;

at least one R 4 is a five-membered or six-membered heterocyclic ring which can be further substituted by R E ;

R E represents mono, di, tri, or tetra-substitution, or no substitution;

each of R, R′, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R c , R D , R x , R Z and R E are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof;

any adjacent substituents of R X , R Y , and R Z are optionally joined to form a ring; and

any adjacent substituents of R, R′, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R C , R D , and R E are optionally joined to form an aromatic ring.

2. The compound of claim 1 , wherein M is selected from the group consisting of Ir, Rh, Re, Ru, Os, Pt, Au, and Cu.

3. The compound of claim 1 , wherein M is Ir.

4. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the compound has the formula M(L A ) 2 (L C ).

5. The compound of claim 1 , wherein the compound has the formula M(L A )(L B ) 2 .

6. The compound of claim 1 , wherein exactly one of A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , A 4 , A 5 , A 6 , A 7 , or A 8 is nitrogen.

7. The compound of claim 1 , wherein exactly one of A 5 , A 6 , A 7 , or A 8 is nitrogen, while A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , and A 4 are carbon.

8. The compound of claim 1 , wherein X is O.

9. The compound of claim 1 , wherein X is NR 1 .

10. The compound of claim 1 , wherein at least one R 4 is a five-membered or six-membered aromatic heterocyclic ring.

11. The compound of claim 1 , wherein at least one R 4 is a six-membered aromatic heterocyclic ring where the only heteroatom is nitrogen.

12. The compound of claim 1 , wherein at least one R 4 is pyridine.

13. The compound of claim 1 , wherein L C has the formula:

wherein R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 are independently selected from group consisting of alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, and heteroaryl; and

at least one of R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 , and R 9 has at least two C atoms.

14. The compound of claim 1 , wherein each of R, R′, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R C , R D , R X , R Y , R Z and R E is independently selected from group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, alkyl, cycloalkyl, and combinations thereof.

15. The compound of claim 1 , wherein R Y is hydrogen.

16. The compound of claim 1 , wherein each of R, R′, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R C , R D , R X , R Y , R Z and R E is independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, methyl, ethyl, propyl, 1-methylethyl, butyl, 1-methylpropyl, 2-methylpropyl, pentyl, 1-methylbutyl, 2-methylbutyl, 3-methylbutyl, 1,1-dimethylpropyl, 1,2-dimethylpropyl, 2,2-dimethylpropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclohexyl, and combinations thereof.

17. The compound of claim 1 , wherein ring C is benzene, and ring D is pyridine.

18. The compound of claim 1 , wherein L A is selected from the group consisting of:

19. The compound of claim 1 , wherein L B is selected from the group consisting of:

20. The compound of claim 1 , where L C is selected from the group consisting of:

21. The compound of claim 1 , wherein A 5 , A 6 , A 7 , and A 8 are carbon, and exactly one of A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , and A 4 is nitrogen.

22. The compound of claim 1 , wherein L A is selected from the group consisting of:

L A171 through L A176 , each represented

by the formula:

wherein in L A171 : X = O, R 2 = R B1 ,

in L A172 : X = O, R 2 = R B2 ,

in L A173 : X = S, R 2 = R B1 ,

in L A174 : X = S, R 2 = R B2 ,

in L A175 : X = C(CH 3 ) 2 , R 2 = R B1 , and

in L A176 : X = C(CH 3 ) 2 , R 2 = R B2 . , and

L A177 through L A182 , each represented

by the formula:

wherein in L A177 : X = O, R 2 = R B1 ,

in L A178 : X = O, R 2 = R B2 ,

in L A179 : X = S, R 2 = R B1 ,

in L A180 : X = S, R 2 = R B2 ,

in L A181 : X = C(CH 3 ) 2 , R 2 = R B1 , and

in L A182 : X = C(CH 3 ) 2 , R 2 = R B2 . .

wherein R B1 is R B1 and and R B2 is R B2 .

23. The compound of claim 22 , wherein the compound has the formula Ir(L Ak )(L Bj ) 2 , wherein k is an integer from 177 to 182, and j is an integer from 1 to 41, and wherein L B1 through L B41 are defined as follows:

24. The compound of claim 22 , wherein the compound has the formula Ir(L Ak ) 2 (L Cj ), wherein k is an integer from 177 to 182, and j is an integer from 1 to 13, and wherein L C1 through L C13 are defined as follows:

25. A device comprising one or more organic light emitting devices, at least one of the one or more organic light emitting devices comprising:

an anode;

a cathode; and

an organic layer, disposed between the anode and the cathode, comprising a compound having a formula M(L A ) x (L B ) y (L C ) z : wherein,

the ligand L A is

the ligand L B i

the ligand L C

M is a metal having an atomic number greater than 40;

x is 1, or 2;

y is 0, 1, or 2;

z is 0, 1, or 2;

x+y+z is the oxidation state of the metal M;

A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , A 4 , A 5 , A 6 , A 7 , and A 8 are carbon or nitrogen;

at least one of A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , A 4 , A 5 , A 6 , A 7 , or A 8 is nitrogen;

ring B is bonded to ring A through a C—C bond;

M is bonded to ring A through a M-C bond;

X is selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, CRR′, and NR 1 ;

rings C and D are each independently a 5 or 6-membered carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring;

R 3 represents mono, or di-substitution, or no substitution;

R 2 , R C , and R D each independently represent mono, di, tri, or tetra-substitution, or no substitution;

R 4 represents mono, di, tri, or tetra-substitution;

at least one R 4 is a five-membered or six-membered heterocyclic ring which can be further substituted by R E ;

R E represents mono, di, tri, or tetra-substitution, or no substitution;

each of R, R′, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R C , R D , R X , R Y , R Z and R E are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof;

any adjacent substituents of R X , R Y , and R Z are optionally joined to form a ring; and

any adjacent substituents of R, R′, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R C , R D , and R E are optionally joined to form an aromatic ring.

26. The device of claim 25 , wherein the device is selected from the group consisting of a consumer product, an electronic component module, an organic light-emitting device, and a lighting panel.

27. The device of claim 25 , wherein the organic layer is an emissive layer and the compound is an emissive dopant or a non-emissive dopant.

28. The device of claim 25 , wherein the organic layer further comprises a host, wherein the host comprises a triphenylene containing benzo-fused thiophene or benzo-fused furan;

wherein, any substituent in the host is an unfused substituent independently selected from the group consisting of C n H 2n+1 , OC n H 2n+1 , OAr 1 , N(C n H 2n+1 ) 2 , N(Ar 1 )(Ar 2 ), CH═CH—C n H 2n+1 , C≡C—C n H 2n+1 , Ar 1 , Ar 1 —Ar 2 , and C n H 2n —Ar 1 , or no substitution;

n is from 1 to 10; and

Ar 1 and Ar 2 are independently selected from the group consisting of benzene, biphenyl, naphthalene, triphenylene, carbazole, and heteroaromatic analogs thereof.

29. The device of claim 25 , wherein the organic layer further comprises a host, wherein the host comprises at least one chemical group selected from the group consisting of triphenylene, carbazole, dibenzothiophene, dibenzofuran, dibenzoselenophene, azatriphenylene, azacarbazole, aza-dibenzothiophene, aza-dibenzofuran, and aza-dibenzoselenophene.

30. The device of claim 25 , wherein the organic layer further comprises a host and the host is selected from the group consisting of:

and combinations thereof.

31. The device of claim 25 , wherein the organic layer further comprises a host and the host comprises a metal complex.

32. A formulation comprising a compound having a formula M(L A ) x (L B ) y (L C ) z : wherein,

the ligand L A is

the ligand L B is

the ligand L C M is a metal having an atomic number greater than 40;

x is 1, or 2;

y is 0, 1, or 2;

z is 0, 1, or 2;

x+y+z is the oxidation state of the metal M;

A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , A 4 , A 5 , A 6 , A 7 , and A 8 are carbon or nitrogen;

at least one of A 1 , A 2 , A 3 , A 4 , A 5 , A 6 , A 7 , or A 8 is nitrogen;

ring B is bonded to ring A through a C—C bond;

M is bonded to ring A through a M-C bond;

X is selected from the group consisting of O, S, Se, CRR′, and NR I ;

rings C and D are each independently a 5 or 6-membered carbocyclic or heterocyclic ring;

R 3 represents mono, or di-substitution, or no substitution;

R 2 , R c , and R D each independently represent mono, di, tri, or tetra-substitution, or no substitution;

R 4 represents mono, di, tri, or tetra-substitution;

at least one R 4 is a five-membered or six-membered heterocyclic ring which can be further substituted by R E ;

R E represents mono, di, tri, or tetra-substitution, or no substitution;

each of R, R′, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R C , R D , R X , R Y , R Z , and R E are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, deuterium, halide, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heteroalkyl, arylalkyl, alkoxy, aryloxy, amino, silyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, heteroalkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, heteroaryl, acyl, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, ester, nitrile, isonitrile, sulfanyl, sulfinyl, sulfonyl, phosphino, and combinations thereof;

any adjacent substituents of R X , R Y , and R Z are optionally joined to form a ring; and

any adjacent substituents of R, R′, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R C , R D , and R E are optionally joined to form an aromatic ring.