Photophysical and charge-transporting properties of the copolymer SuperYellow

Conjugated copolymers are important materials for organic light-emitting diodes. Here, an investigation of the photophysical and charge-transporting properties of the prototypical poly(p-phenylene vinylene) based copolymer SuperYellow (SY) is reported. The study also investigated the effect of processing conditions by comparing the properties of spin-coated and solution-cast films. For both types of films, the results of time-resolved fluorescence and photoluminescence quantum yield measurements are similar. The high photoluminescence quantum yield of 60% and its independence of processing conditions shows the effectiveness of the bulky side groups in preventing concentration quenching of fluorescence. Time of flight measurements of charge mobility in both spin-coated and solution-cast films also showed similar results, with mobilities in the range 10(-6)-10(-7) cm(2)/V s for both films. These results provide important information about a widely used copolymer and show that a good polymer light-emitting diode material can have low mobility. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.