Photoluminescence quenching in films of conjugated polymers by electrochemical doping

An important loss mechanism in organic electroluminescent devices is exciton quenching by polarons. Gradual electrochemical doping of various conjugated polymer films enabled the determination of the doping density dependence of photoluminescence quenching. Electrochemical doping was achieved by contacting the film with a solid electrochemical gate and an injecting contact. A sharp reduction in photoluminescence was observed for doping densities between 1018 and 1019 cm 3. The doping density dependence is quantitatively modeled by exciton diffusion in a homogeneous density of polarons followed by either Förster resonance energy transfer or charge transfer. Both mechanisms need to be considered to describe polaron-induced exciton quenching. Thus, to reduce exciton-polaron quenching in organic optoelectronic devices, both mechanisms must be prevented by reducing the exciton diffusion, the spectral overlap, the doping density, or a combination thereof. © 2014 American Physical Society