PEDOT:PSS-Free Quantum-Dot Light-Emitting Diode with Enhanced Efficiency and Stability

Although high-performance quantum-dot light-emitting diodes (QLEDs) have been achieved, their stability is still limited due to the use of unstable PEDOT:PSS as the hole injection layer (HIL). Here, we developed a PEDOT:PSS-free QLED by using a binary PTAA:F4-TCNQ HIL. Because the PTAA, with a highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) level of ∼5.20 eV, can facilitate hole injection from ITO to the hole transport layer, and the F4-TCNQ can act as the electron acceptor dopant to improve the hole density and hole mobility of PTAA, the PTAA:F4-TCNQ HIL can exhibit excellent hole injection capability. As a result, the PEDOT:PSS-free QLED can exhibit a high EQE of 24.19% and an impressive brightness of 367,200 cd/m², which are significantly higher than those of conventional QLEDs. Moreover, due to the improvement of device performance and the removal of PEDOT:PSS, the PEDOT:PSS-free QLED can also exhibit a high <i>T</i>₉₅ operational lifetime of 4206 h at 1000 cd/m² and an excellent <i>T</i>₈₀ shelf lifetime of 207.41 h at 136400 cd/m², which are about 1.6- and 3.3-fold those of conventional QLEDs, respectively. We believe that the demonstrated PEDOT:PSS-free QLED, with higher performance and stability, will promote the practical application of QLEDs in displays.