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Research Article | Open Access

PIN quantum-dot LEDs with enhanced efficiency and stability enabled by bulk-heterojunction hole transport layer

Heng Zhang1,§ ( ), Zhe Wang1,§, Dawei Yang1, Bingsuo Zou1 ( ), Shuming Chen2 ( )
School of Resources, Environments and Materials, Guangxi University, Nanning 530004, China
Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518055, China

§ Heng Zhang and Zhe Wang contributed equally to this work.

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Graphical Abstract

In this work, we propose a novel trilayer p-type/intrinsic/n-type (PIN) quantum-dot light-emitting diode (QLED) with only three functional layers: PTAA:TFB:F4-TCNQ bulk-heterojunction hole transport layer, quantum-dot emitting layer, and ZnMgO electron transport layer. After optimization, the obtained trilayer PIN QLED can exhibit an excellent external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 25.1% and an impressive peak luminance of 382,600 cd/m2, which are significantly higher than those of the control device.

Abstract

Although quantum-dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) can exhibit high efficiency and long lifetime, the realization of QLEDs-based displays remains challenging due to their complex multilayer architectures and the use of unstable poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene):poly(styrene sulfonate) (PEDOT:PSS) hole injection layer (HIL). Here, we develop a novel trilayer p-type/intrinsic/n-type (PIN) QLED with only three functional layers: PTAA:TFB:F4-TCNQ (PTAA: poly[bis(4-phenyl)(2,4,6-trimethylphenyl)amine]; TFB: poly[(9,9-dioctylfluorenyl-2,7-diyl)-co-(4,4'-(N-(4-sec-butylphenyl)diphenylamine)]; F4-TCNQ: 2,3,5,6-tetrafluoro-7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane) bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) hole transport layer (HTL), quantum-dot emitting layer, and ZnMgO electron transport layer. Due to well-matched energy level, increased hole transport path from PTAA to TFB, and improved hole density and enhanced hole mobility of the PTAA:TFB:F4-TCNQ BHJ HTL, the resultant trilayer PIN QLED exhibits a high external quantum efficiency (EQE) of 25.1% and an impressive peak brightness of 382,600 cd/m2, which are significantly higher than those of the control QLED. Moreover, the trilayer PIN QLED also shows a 1.94-fold longer operational lifetime than control QLED due to the improved device performance, reduced charge accumulation, and removal of unstable PEDOT:PSS. The developed trilayer PIN QLED, with fewer functional layers and better stability, could promote the practical application of QLED in displays and solid-state lighting.

Keywords

quantum dotslight-emitting diodestrilayerhole transport layerp-type/intrinsic/n-type (PIN)

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Nano Research
Volume 18 Issue 2,
February 2025
Article number: 94907155
DOI: 10.26599/NR.2025.94907155
Cite this article:
Zhang H, Wang Z, Yang D, et al. PIN quantum-dot LEDs with enhanced efficiency and stability enabled by bulk-heterojunction hole transport layer. Nano Research, 2025, 18(2): 94907155. https://doi.org/10.26599/NR.2025.94907155
Topics:
Light emitting diodes

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Received: 25 September 2024
Revised: 03 November 2024
Accepted: 25 November 2024
Published: 09 January 2025
© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Tsinghua University Press.

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0, https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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