Hybrid white light emitting devices (HWLEDs) from organic polymer and PbS nanocrystals by multiple excitons

Hybrid white light-emitting devices (HWLEDs) were fabricated using FTO/PEDOT: PSS/PbS/Alq₃/Ni system and synthesized by phase separation process. In the present study, the multiple excitons generation in lead sulfide (PbS) NCs, which is characteristic of PbS NCs, was used to induce an effective and regulated energy transfer to an HWLED. The HWLED consisted of three layers successively deposited on FTO glass substrate; the first layer consisted of poly (3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) polystyrene sulfonate (PEDOT: PSS) blended with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) organic polymer in the 1:1 ratio, while the second layer consisted of PbS NCs. Finally, above the layer of the PbS NCs, Tris (8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq₃) layer was deposited. The white light was generated with quite a good efficiency due to the confinement effect that makes the energy gap greater. The characteristics of the current-voltage (I-V) indicate acceptable conditions for the generation of white light by multiple excitons. It was found that the emission levels able to produce white luminescence, classified based on the coordinate system of chromaticity (CIE 1931), are x = 0.31, y = 0.33 while the correlated color temperature (CCT) is about 6250 K. The HWLEDs made from PbS NCs with hole injection from the organic polymer (PEDOT: PSS with PMMA), and electron injection from organic molecules (Alq₃) are capable of white light generation.