Electroluminescent device

An organic electroluminescent device comprising in sequence, an anode, a layer of an electroluminescent material, and a cathode, in which the electroluminescent material is selected from compounds of the general chemical formula

• where Lα is selected from organic ligands and from compounds of formula:
• where R1, R2 and R3 can be the same or different and are selected from hydrogen, and substituted and unsubstituted hydrocarbyl groups, substituted and unsubstituted aliphatic groups, substituted and unsubstituted aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures, fluorocarbons, trifluoryl methyl groups, halogens and thiophenyl groups;
• R1, R2 and R3 can also form substituted and unsubstituted fused aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures and can be copolymerisable with a monomer;
• X is Se, S or O;
• Y is selected from hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl groups, substituted and unsubstituted aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures, fluorine, fluorocarbons such as trifluoryl methyl groups, halogens, thiophenyl groups and nitrile and the ligands Lf and Lα are the same or different;
• Lp is a neutral organic ligand, or is of formula
• where each Ph which can be the same or different and can be a phenyl (OPNP) or a substituted phenyl group, other substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic or polycyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted fused aromatic group such as a naphthyl, anthracene, phenanthrene or pyrene group;
• M and M1 are a rare earth, transition metal, lanthanide or an actinide, M2 is a non rare earth rare earth, transition metal, lanthanide or an actinide metal and n is the combined valence state of M, M1 and M2 or from compounds of the general chemical formula
• where L is a bridging ligand and where M1 and M3 are selected from a rare earth, transition metal, lanthanide or an actinide, M2 is a non rare earth metals and M4 is M1;
• Lm, Lp and Ln are the same or different organic ligands or are Lα, as defmned above, x is the valence state of M1, y is the valence state of M2, and z is the valence state of M3 and in which the rare earth metals and the non rare earth metals can be joined together by a metal to metal bond and/or via an intermediate bridging atom, ligand or molecular group or in which there are more than three metals joined by metal to metal bonds and/or via intermediate ligands and there is located in the electroluminescent layer as a fluorescent material a dye capable of emitting light in response to hole-electron recombination.

An organic electroluminescent device comprising in sequence, an anode, a layer of a hole transporting material, a layer of an electroluminescent material, a layer of an electron transmitting material, and a cathode, in which the electroluminescent material is selected from compounds of the general chemical formula

• where Lα is selected from organic ligands and from compounds of formula:—
• where R1, R2 and R3 can be the same or different and are selected from hydrogen, and substituted and unsubstituted hydrocarbyl groups, substituted and unsubstituted aliphatic groups, substituted and unsubstituted aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures, fluorocarbons, trifluoryl methyl groups, halogens and thiophenyl groups;
• R1, R2 and R3 can also form substituted and unsubstituted fused aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures and can be copolymerisable with a monomer;
• X is Se, S or O;
• Y is selected from hydrogen, substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbyl groups, substituted and unsubstituted aromatic, heterocyclic and polycyclic ring structures, fluorine, fluorocarbons such as trifluoryl methyl groups, halogens, thiophenyl groups and nitrile and the ligands Ln and Lα are the same or different;
• Lp is a neutral organic ligand, or is of formula
• where each Ph which can be the same or different and can be a phenyl (OPNP) or a substituted phenyl group, other substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group, a substituted or unsubstituted heterocyclic or polycyclic group, a substituted or unsubstituted fused aromatic group such as a naphthyl, anthracene, phenanthrene or pyrene group;
• M and M1 are a rare earth, transition metal, lanthanide or an actinide, M2 is a non rare earth rare earth, transition metal, lanthanide or an actinide metal and n is the combined valence state of M, M1 and M2 or from compounds of the general chemical formula
• where L is a bridging ligand and where M1 and M3 are selected from a rare earth, transition metal, lanthanide or an actinide, M2 is a non rare earth metals and M4 is M1;
• Lm, Lp and Ln are the same or different organic ligands or are Lα, as defined above, x is the valence state of M1, y is the valence state of M2, and z is the valence state of M3 and in which the rare earth metals and the non rare earth metals can be joined together by a metal to metal bond and/or via an intermediate bridging atom, ligand or molecular group or in which there are more than three metals joined by metal to metal bonds and/or via intermediate ligands and there is located in the electroluminescent layer as a fluorescent material a dye capable of emitting light in response to hole-electron recombination.