A new type of bottom-emission electroluminescent device is described in which a metal oxide is used as the electron-injecting contact. The preparation of such a device is simple. It consists of the deposition of a thin layer of a metal oxide on top of an indium tin oxide covered glass substrate, followed by the solution processing of the light-emitting layer and subsequently the deposition of a high-workfunction (air-stable) metal anode. This architecture allows for a low-cost electroluminescent device because no rigorous encapsulation is required. Electroluminescence with a high brightness reaching 5700 cd m-2 is observed at voltages as low as 8 V, demonstrating the potential of this new approach to organic light-emitting diode (OLED) devices. Unfortunately the device efficiency is rather low because of the high current density flowing through the device. We show that the device only operates after the insertion of an additional hole-injection layer in between the light-emitting polymer (LEP) and the metal anode. A simple model that explains the experimental results and provides avenues for further optimization of these devices is described. It is based on the idea that the barrier for electron injection is lowered by the formation of a space-charge field over the metal-oxide-LEP interface due to the build up of holes in the LEP layer close to this interface.

An air stable hybrid organic-inorganic light emitting device is presented. This architecture makes use of metal oxides as charge injecting materials into the light emitting polymer, avoiding the use of air sensitive cathodes commonly employed in organic light emitting diode manufacturing. We report the application of zinc oxide as a cathode in an organic light emitting device. This electroluminescent device shows high brightness levels reaching 6500cd∕m2 at voltages as low as 8V. Compared to a conventional device using low workfunction metal cathodes, our device shows a lower turn-on voltage and it can operate in air.

A new iridium(III) complex showing intramolecular interligand pi-stacking has been synthesized and used to improve the stability of single-component, solid-state light-emitting electrochemical cell (LEC) devices. The pi-stacking results in the formation of a very stable supramolecularly caged complex. LECs using this complex show extraordinary stabilities (estimated lifetime of 600 h) and luminance values (average luminance of 230 cd m-2) indicating the path toward stable ionic complexes for use in LECs reaching stabilities required for practical applications.

Ultrathin Fe films on Pt substrates have been investigated under ultrahigh vacuum conditions by scanning tunneling microscopy, low energy electron diffraction, magneto-optical Kerr effect, x-ray magnetic circular dichroism measurements, and Kerr microscopy. We present a comparison between Fe films on flat Pt͑111͒ and stepped Pt͑997͒, with particular focus on the magnetic anisotropy in the submonolayer thickness range below 0.2 monolayer coverage, and above the spin reorientation transition at 3 monolayer thickness. The comparison of structure and magnetism suggests that the perpendicular easy axis found for films thinner than three monolayers is due to dominating contributions from both film interfaces to the anisotropy energy. The Fe-Pt interface contribution has its origin in the hybridization of the Fe 3d with the Pt 5d band. The in-plane magnetic anisotropy above 3 atomic layers film thickness can be correlated directly with peculiarities of the film structure.