Abstract
THE range of materials now available for polymer-based light-emitting diodes (LEDs) is such that electroluminescence can be obtained throughout the visible spectrum1–12. Here we show that, by blending polymers with different emission and charge-transport characteristics, LEDs can be fabricated in which the emission col-our varies as a function of the operating voltage. This phenomenon arises from the self-organizing properties of the blends, in which entropy drives phase separation of the constituent polymers and gives rise to submicrometre-sized domains having a range of com-positions and emission characteristics. Emission from domains of different composition is controlled by the ease with which charge is injected, which in turn depends on the applied voltage.
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Berggren, M., Inganäs, O., Gustafsson, G. et al. Light-emitting diodes with variable colours from polymer blends. Nature 372, 444–446 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1038/372444a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/372444a0
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