Efficient top-emitting OLEDs with Ag anodes modified by self-assembled monolayers of carboxylates

Fine-tuning of work functions and thus the hole-injection property of the Ag anode an electroluminescent device were achieved by using various self-assembled monolayers of organic carboxylate on the electrode surface.. A correlation between the change in work function with the effective dipole moment along the surface normal and the currents in the hole-only devices was observed. These SAM-modified metals were used as anodes in the fabrication of top-emitting organic light-emitting diodes (TOLEDs). The TOLED with the Ag anode modified by the perfluoroalkanoate exhibited a luminous efficiency as high as 18 cdA(-1), superior to that of the Ag2O-based device.