Azabenzimidazole carbene complexes as efficiency booster in OLEDs

An organic electronic device selected from organic light-emitting diodes (OLED), light-emitting electrochemical cells (LEEC), organic photovoltaic cells (OPV) and organic field-effect transistors (OFET),

• comprising at least one hole-transport material and/or at least one electron/exciton blocker material, wherein said at least one hole-transport material and/or said at least one electron/exciton blocker material comprises at least one Ir metal-carbene complex of formula (II′)
• wherein
• R1, R2 and R3
• are each independently hydrogen, deuterium, a linear or branched alkyl radical, optionally interrupted by at least one heteroatom, optionally bearing at least one functional group and having a total of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms and/or heteroatoms, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl radical, optionally bearing at least one functional group and having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclo alkyl radical, interrupted by at least one heteroatom, optionally bearing at least one functional group and having a total of from 3 to 20 carbon atoms and/or heteroatoms, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl radical, optionally bearing at least one functional group and having 6 to 30 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl radical, interrupted by at least one heteroatom, optionally bearing at least one functional group and having a total of from 5 to 18 carbon atoms and/or heteroatoms, a group with donor or acceptor action;
• or
• R1 and R2, or R2 and R3, form, independently of each other, together with a carbon atom to which they are bonded an optionally substituted saturated or unsaturated or aromatic ring, optionally interrupted by at least one heteroatom and having a total of from 5 to 18 carbon atoms and/or heteroatoms, and may optionally be fused to at least one further optionally substituted saturated or unsaturated or aromatic ring, optionally interrupted by at least one heteroatom and having a total of from 5 to 18 carbon atoms and/or heteroatoms;
• A1 is CR4 or N;
• A2 is CR5 or N;
• A3 is CR6 or N;
• A4 is CR7 or N;
• A1′ is CR4′ or N;
• A2′ is CR5′ or N;
• A3′ is CR6′ or N;
• A4′ is CR7′ or N;
• R4, R5, R6, R7, R4′, R5′, R6′, and R7′
• are each independently hydrogen, deuterium, a linear or branched alkyl radical, optionally interrupted by at least one heteroatom, optionally bearing at least one functional group and having a total of from 1 to 20 carbon atoms and/or heteroatoms, a substituted or unsubstituted cycloalkyl radical, optionally bearing at least one functional group and having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclo alkyl radical, interrupted by at least one heteroatom, optionally bearing at least one functional group and having a total of from 3 to 20 carbon atoms and/or heteroatoms, a substituted or unsubstituted aryl radical, optionally bearing at least one functional group and having from 6 to 30 carbon atoms, a substituted or unsubstituted heteroaryl radical, interrupted by at least one heteroatom, optionally bearing at least one functional group and having a total of from 5 to 18 carbon atoms and/or heteroatoms, a group with donor or acceptor action;
• or
• R4 and R5, R5 and R6, R6 and R7, R4′ and R5′, R5′ and R6′, or R6′ and R7′, form, independently of each other, together with the carbon atoms to which they are bonded, a saturated or unsaturated or aromatic, optionally substituted ring, which is optionally interrupted by at least one heteroatom, has a total of from 5 to 18 carbon atoms and/or heteroatoms, and may optionally be fused to at least one further optionally substituted saturated or unsaturated or aromatic ring, optionally interrupted by at least one heteroatom and having a total of from 5 to 18 carbon atoms and/or heteroatoms;
• n is 3;
• L is not present;
• and
• o is 0;
• wherein the OLED comprises
• (a) an anode,
• (b) a cathode,
• (c) a light-emitting layer between the anode and the cathode,
• (d) at least one layer, selected from a hole-transport layer (d1) and an electron/exciton blocking layer (d2), disposed between the anode (a) and the light-emitting layer (c);
• wherein the at least one hole-transport material is present in the hole-transport layer of the OLED and/or the at least one electron/exciton blocker material is present in the electron/exciton blocking layer of the OLED.