# US 8,541,940 B2 · Electrospun light-emitting fibers

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- Number: US 8,541,940 B2
- Document ID: US8541940B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 13/337,977
- Filed: 2011-12-27
- Published: 2012-04-26
- Granted: 2013-09-24
- Earliest claimed: 2007-09-18
- Assignees: Cornell University
- Applicants: Jose M. Moran-Mirabal; Harold G. Craighead; George G. Malliaras; Héctor D. Abruna; Jason D. Slinker
- Inventors: Jose M. Moran-Mirabal; Harold G. Craighead; George G. Malliaras; Héctor D. Abruna; Jason D. Slinker
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8541940B2

## CPC

- C09K 11/06: containing organic luminescent materials
- B82Y 20/00: Nanooptics, e.g. quantum optics or photonic crystals
- C09K 11/02: Use of particular materials as binders, particle coatings or suspension media therefor
- D01D 5/0007: {Electro-spinning (non-woven fabrics produced by electro-spinning D04H1/728)}
- D01F 1/04: Pigments
- D01F 1/06: Dyes
- G02B 6/02033: {Core or cladding made from organic material, e.g. polymeric material (G02B1/04 takes precedence)}
- G02B 6/107: {Subwavelength-diameter waveguides, e.g. nanowires}
- C09K 2211/1007: Non-condensed systems
- C09K 2211/1029: containing one nitrogen atom as the heteroatom
- C09K 2211/185: of the platinum group, i.e. Os, Ir, Pt, Ru, Rh or Pd
- Y10T 428/298: Physical dimension
- C09K: MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
- B82Y: SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES
- D01D: MECHANICAL METHODS OR APPARATUS IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS
- D01F: CHEMICAL FEATURES IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ARTIFICIAL FILAMENTS, THREADS, FIBRES, BRISTLES OR RIBBONS; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF CARBON FILAMENTS
- G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

The invention teaches electrospun light-emitting fibers made from ionic transition metal complexes (“iTMCs”) such as [Ru(bpy)3]2+(PF6−)2]/PEO mixtures with dimensions in the 10.0 nm to 5.0 micron range and capable of highly localized light emission at low operating voltages such as 3-4 V with turn-on voltages approaching the band-gap limit of the organic semiconductor that may be used as point source light emitters on a chip.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An electrospun light-emitting fiber (ELF) comprising an electroluminescent material and a carrier substance, wherein the electroluminescent material is solution processahle and embedded in the carrier substance, wherein the ELF emits a localized light three-dimensionally confined to nanometer scale dimensions when subject to an operating voltage ranging from about 1V to about 10V.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The ELF of claim 1, wherein the localized light is three-dimensionally confined to an emission zone of sub-wavelength dimensions.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The ELF of claim 1, wherein the electroluminescent material is an electroluminescent organic material.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The ELF of claim 3, wherein the electroluminescent organic material is a mixed conductor.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The ELF of claim 4, wherein the mixed conductor is an ionic transition metal complex (iTMC) or a transition metal coordination compound.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The ELF of claim 5, wherein the ELF comprises as plurality of iTMCs.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The ELF of claim 5, wherein the iTMC comprises transition metal ions and ligands.

### Claim 8

The ELF of claim. 1, wherein the carrier substance is a polymeric substance.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The ELF of claim 8, wherein the polymeric substance is chosen from a group consisting of conjugated polymers, copolymers, block co-polymers, partially cross-linked polymers, biodegradable polymers including poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA), tyrosine-derived polymers, segmented polyurethane-based polymers, polyphosphoesters, polyphosphazenes, polyanhydrides, polyethers, poly(ortho esters), polycarbonates, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl acetates, polystyrenes, polyglycolic acids, polylactic acids, water-soluble vinyl polymers and dendrimers.

### Claim 10 (depends on 9)

The ELF of claim 9, wherein the polyether is chosen from the group consisting of polyethylene oxide (PEO), polyethylene glycol (PEG), polypropylene oxide (PEP) and their co-polymers.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The ELF of claim 10, wherein the copolymer is poly(ethylene glycol-co-propylene oxide) (PEG-PPO).

### Claim 12 (depends on 8)

The ELF of claim 8, wherein the water-soluble vinyl polymer is chosen from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), polyvinyl ether and polyvinyl pyrrolidone.

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The ELF of claim 10, wherein the carrier substance is PE0 and the iTMC is ruthenium(ll) tris(bipyridine)hexafluorophosphate.

### Claim 14 (depends on 1)

The ELF of claim 1, wherein the diameter of the ELF is between about 10.0 nm to about 50.0 microns.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The ELF of claim 14, wherein the diameter of the ELF is between about 75.0 nm to about 1000.0 nm.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The ELF of claim 15, wherein the diameter of the ELF is between about 100.0 nm to about 600.00 nm.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The ELF of claim 16, wherein the diameter of the ELF is between about 200.0 to about 400.0 nm.

### Claim 18 (depends on 1)

The ELF of claim 1, wherein the operating voltage ranges from about 2 to about 8 V.

### Claim 19

The ELF of claim. 18, wherein the operating voltage ranges from about 3 to about 4 V.

### Claim 20 (depends on 1)

The ELF of claim 1. wherein the localized light is localized to a planar dimension between about 102 to about 106nm2.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

The ELF of claim 20, wherein the localized light is localized to a planar dimension between about 102 to about 104 nm2.

### Claim 22 (depends on 21)

The ELF of claim 21, wherein the localized light is localized to a planar dimension between about 102 to about 103 nm2.

### Claim 23 (depends on 22)

The ELF of claim 22, wherein the localized light is localized to a planar dimension between 102 to 2×102 nm2.

### Claim 24 (depends on 1)

The ELF of claim 1, wherein the ELF is encapsulated.

### Claim 25 (depends on 1)

A device comprising at least one ELF of claim 1 deposited on a substrate comprising at least two interdigitated conducting electrodes, such that the localized light emission occurs along the ELF in the interelectrode gaps between the interdigitated conducting electrodes.

### Claim 26 (depends on 25)

The device of claim 25, wherein the interelectrode gaps between the interdigitated conducting electrodes are between about 500 nm and about 5.0 microns.

### Claim 27 (depends on 25)

The device of claim 25, comprising a plurality of ELFs.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The device of claim 27, wherein the ELFs are parallel to each other.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The device of claim 27, wherein at least one ELF intersects a second ELF.

### Claim 30 (depends on 28, 29)

The device of claim 28 or 29, wherein the ELFs form an array.

### Claim 31

An electrospun light-emitting fiber (ELF) comprising an electroluminescent organic material and a carrier substance, wherein the electroluminescent organic material is solution processable and embedded in the carrier substance, and wherein the electroluminescent organic material is a mixed conductor.

### Claim 32 (depends on 31)

The ELF of claim 31, wherein the mixed conductor is an ionic transition metal complex (iTMC) or a transition metal coordination compound.

### Claim 33 (depends on 31)

The ELF of claim 31, wherein the ELF comprises a plurality of iTMCs.

### Claim 34 (depends on 32)

The ELF of claim 32, wherein the iTMC comprises transition metal ions and ligands.

### Claim 35 (depends on 31)

The ELF of claim 31, wherein the carrier substance is a polymeric substance.

### Claim 36 (depends on 35)

The ELF of claim 35, wherein the polymeric substance is chosen from a group consisting of conjugated polymers, copolymers, block co-polymers, partially cross-linked polymers, biodegradable polymers including poly(propylene fumarate) (PPF) polymethyl-methacrylate (PMMA), tyrosine-derived polymers, segmented polyurethane-based polymers, polyphosphoesters, polyphosphazenes, polyanhydrides, polyethers, poly(ortho esters), polycarhonates, polyvinyl alcohols, polyvinyl acetates, polystyrenes, polyglycolic acids, polylactic acids, water-soluble vinyl polymers and dendrimers.