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Advanced Materials, Structures, and Technologies for Thin-Film Light-Emitting Diodes
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Advanced Materials, Structures, and Technologies for Thin-Film Light-Emitting Diodes

A special issue of Materials (ISSN 1996-1944). This special issue belongs to the section "Optical and Photonic Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 April 2026 | Viewed by 1909

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Carmela Tania Prontera

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
ENEA—Italian National Agency for New Technologies, Energy and Sustainable Economic Development, Brindisi, Italy
Interests: optoelectronic devices; energy electrochemical devices
Dr. Marco Pugliese

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Nanotechnology—CNR NANOTEC, Lecce, Italy
Interests: optoelectronics; chromogenic devices; energy saving
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Thin-film light-emitting devices (LEDs), such as quantum dot LEDs (QLEDs), perovskite LEDs (PeLEDs), and organic/hybrid light-emitting devices (OLEDs/HLED), have been attracting significant attention due to their huge potential in display and lighting applications. Although thin-film LEDs have several advantages, such as compatibility with flexible substrates, wet deposition techniques, and low cost, there are still performance limitations due to different physical processes related to charge imbalance, limited carrier mobility, bimolecular quenching processes, and exciton dissociation induced by heat or an electric field.

In this context, different topics are of interest to researchers in optimizing device performance and reducing environmental impact and costs. These include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • The development of high-performance, low-cost, and biocompatible emissive materials;
  • The development of new materials for efficient charge injection and transport;
  • New device configurations;
  • The study of interface phenomena between layers;
  • The development of innovative low-cost and scalable manufacturing processes.

Our aim for this Special Issue is to collect research papers and reviews on the latest advances in the development of new materials, interface engineering, device physics, and manufacturing, in order to improve performance and reduce costs in thin-film LEDs.

Dr. Carmela Tania Prontera
Dr. Marco Pugliese
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Materials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • thin-film LEDs
  • LEDs
  • quantum dots
  • perovskites
  • organic materials
  • interfaces
  • semiconductors
  • OLEDs

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 1625 KB  
Article
Optimization of Electron Transport Layer Inkjet Printing Towards Fully Solution-Processable OLEDs
by Riccardo Manfredi, Carmela Tania Prontera, Fabrizio Mariano, Marco Pugliese, Antonio Maggiore, Alessandra Zizzari, Marco Cinquino, Iolena Tarantini, Giuseppe Gigli and Vincenzo Maiorano
Materials 2025, 18(14), 3231; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18143231 - 9 Jul 2025
Viewed by 519
Abstract
The fabrication of high-performance organic optoelectronic devices using solution-based techniques, in particular inkjet printing, is both a desirable and challenging goal. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are multilayer devices that have demonstrated great potential in display applications, with ongoing efforts aimed at extending their [...] Read more.
The fabrication of high-performance organic optoelectronic devices using solution-based techniques, in particular inkjet printing, is both a desirable and challenging goal. Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) are multilayer devices that have demonstrated great potential in display applications, with ongoing efforts aimed at extending their use to the lighting sector. A key objective in this context is the reduction in production costs, for which printing techniques offer a promising pathway. The main obstacle to fully printed OLEDs lies in the difficulty of depositing new layers onto pre-existing ones while maintaining high film quality and avoiding damage to the underlying layers. In a bottom-emitting OLED, the electron transport layer (ETL) is the final organic layer to be deposited, making its printing particularly challenging, a process for which only a few successful examples have been reported. In this work, we report on the optimization of a 2,2′,2″-(1,3,5-Benzinetriyl)-tris(1-phenyl-1-H-benzimidazole) (TPBi)-based ink formulation for ETL printing on an emitting layer composed of 5,10-Bis(4-(3,6-di-tert-butyl-9H-carbazol-9-yl)-2,6-dimethylphenyl)-5,10-dihydroboranthrene (tBuCzDBA). A specific ratio of methanol to diethyl ether was identified as the most suitable for printing the ETL without compromising the integrity of the underlying layer. The printed ETL was successfully integrated into an OLED device, which exhibited a maximum current efficiency of 6.8 cd/A and a peak luminance of about 8700 cd/m2. These results represent a significant step toward the development of a fully printed OLED architecture. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials, Structures, and Technologies for Thin-Film Light-Emitting Diodes)
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14 pages, 3500 KB  
Article
Probing Phase Transitions and Interfacial Reorganization in TAPC/CBP/BPhen Organic Light-Emitting Diode Stacks by In Situ Ellipsometry
by Ilze Aulika, Patricija Paulsone, Sven Oras, Jelena Butikova, Margarita Anna Zommere, Elina Laizane and Aivars Vembris
Materials 2025, 18(10), 2261; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18102261 - 13 May 2025
Viewed by 545
Abstract
The thermal behavior of a three-layer structure—glass/ITO/TAPC/CBP/BPhen—in an OLED system was investigated using in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry during controlled heating from room temperature to 120 °C over 60 min, simulating the ageing process and analyzing degradation kinetics. Variations in Ψ and Δ spectra [...] Read more.
The thermal behavior of a three-layer structure—glass/ITO/TAPC/CBP/BPhen—in an OLED system was investigated using in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry during controlled heating from room temperature to 120 °C over 60 min, simulating the ageing process and analyzing degradation kinetics. Variations in Ψ and Δ spectra were observed across the entire 0.7–5.9 eV spectral range, with five distinct anomalies, particularly in the UV region. An anomaly at approximately 66 °C was attributed to the glass transition temperature Tg of BPhen, while another two at around 82 °C and at around 112 °C corresponded to the first-order phase transition of TAPC and Tg of CBP, respectively. The origins of the remaining anomalies at 91 °C and 112 °C were explored in this study, with a focus on interphase layer formation and morphological changes that emerge during heating. These findings provide insights into the stability of OLEDs under thermal stress. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials, Structures, and Technologies for Thin-Film Light-Emitting Diodes)
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11 pages, 4413 KB  
Communication
Photoluminescence and Crystal-Field Analysis of Reddish CaYAl3O7: Eu3+ Phosphors for White LEDs
by Zhaoyu Li, Da Yi, Tianpei Xu, Yong Ao and Weiqing Yang
Materials 2025, 18(7), 1578; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18071578 - 31 Mar 2025
Viewed by 398
Abstract
Red melilite structure CaY1−xAl3O7: Eux (x = 0.04–0.24) phosphors for white LEDs were synthesized through a straightforward solid-state reaction process. These phosphors exhibit efficient excitation under near-ultraviolet light at 398 nm (7F [...] Read more.
Red melilite structure CaY1−xAl3O7: Eux (x = 0.04–0.24) phosphors for white LEDs were synthesized through a straightforward solid-state reaction process. These phosphors exhibit efficient excitation under near-ultraviolet light at 398 nm (7F0 → 5L6), producing the desired emission peak at 622 nm from the transitions of 5D0 → 7F2. The Eu doping concentration was also optimized as x = 0.16. The complete 3003 × 3003 energy matrix was constructed based on an effective Hamiltonian including both free-ion and crystal-field interactions within a complete diagonalization method (CDM). Eighteen experimental fluorescent spectra for Eu3+ ions at the Y3+ site of CaYAl3O7 crystal were quantitatively identified with high accuracy through fitting calculations. The fitting values are in reasonable agreement with the experimental results, thereby showcasing the efficacy of the CDM in probing luminescent phosphors for white LEDs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials, Structures, and Technologies for Thin-Film Light-Emitting Diodes)
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Review

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26 pages, 2109 KB  
Review
1H-Imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline Derivatives as Promising Ligands for Ir and Ru Complex Compounds for Applications in LECs: Mini-Review
by Agnieszka Krawiec, Agata Szłapa-Kula and Sławomir Kula
Materials 2025, 18(18), 4380; https://doi.org/10.3390/ma18184380 - 19 Sep 2025
Abstract
Light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) are attracting significant attention due to their simple design, low production costs, and ability to operate on flexible substrates. As a result, they are increasingly considered a highly attractive alternative to organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The emissive layer is [...] Read more.
Light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) are attracting significant attention due to their simple design, low production costs, and ability to operate on flexible substrates. As a result, they are increasingly considered a highly attractive alternative to organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs). The emissive layer is a key element determining the efficiency of LECs. Therefore, considerable attention is currently being paid to finding chemical compounds that could be used as efficient and stable light emitters. Ionic transition metal complexes (iTMCs) are a prime example of such materials. In recent years, iridium and ruthenium complexes containing ligands based on 1H-imidazo[4,5-f][1,10]phenanthroline derivatives have attracted particular interest in LECs. Therefore, this paper discusses in detail the physicochemical properties and application potential of iridium and ruthenium complexes containing these ligands in LECs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advanced Materials, Structures, and Technologies for Thin-Film Light-Emitting Diodes)
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