Molecular self-assembly approaches to multilayer organic light-emitting diode structures

An attractive and challenging approach to the construction of robust, structurally precise thin film materials with large second-order optical nonlinearities or electroluminescent characteristics is the covalent self-assembly of arrays of tailored molecular building blocks. In this contribution, we discuss the implementation of self-limiting siloxane self-assembly processes to achieve the fabrication of structurally regular organic LED (OLED) devices. Areas surveyed include: i) the use of layer-by-layer self-assembly for ITO electrode modification/passivation/hole-electron carrier balancing in vapor depositied devices, ii) the synthesis of chlorosilane-functionalized precursor molecules for hole transport (HTL), emissive layer (EML), and electron transport layer (ETL) self-assembly, iii) the physicochemical and microstructural characterization of the HTL self-assembly process employing a triarylamine precursor, iv) the fabrication and characterization of a hybrid self-assembled + vapor deposited two-layer OLED, v) the fabrication and characterization of a fully self-assembled two-layer OLED.