New electroluminescent materials based on anthracene chromophore with naphthylethenyl substituent, 9,10-bis(α-naphthylethenyl)anthracene (a-BNA), as well as four kinds of its derivatives were synthesized, and luminescent properties of these materials were investigated. Electrolumineecent(EL) emission band was discussed based on their substituent structure differences. It was found that the emission band strongly depends on the molecular structure of introduced substituent. It can be tuned from 557 nm to 591 nm by changing the substituent structures. On the other hand, the anthracene chromophore with bulky substituent possessed high melting point and they gave stable films through vacuum-sublimation. The double layer EL device of ITO/TPD/emission layer/Mg:Ag was employed, and exhibited efficient orange light originating from emitting materials. EL emission with a maximum luminance was observed in the b-BNA emitting material, : maximum luminance was about 8,060 cd m-2 at an applied voltage of 10 V and current density of 680 mA/cm2. In conclusion, the electroluminescent properties also showed good difference with their substituent structure.

Zinc complexes with bis[2-(o-hydroxyphenyl) naphtol [1,2] oxazolato ligands (ZnPBO-4) and its derivatives (ZnPBO-S) were synthesized, and luminescent properties of these materials were investigated. Both the fluorescent emission band and electroluminescent emission band were discussed based on their ligand structure differences. The emission band found that it strongly depends on the molecular structure of introduced ligand. It was tuned from 446 nm to 491 nm by changing the ligand structures. Spreading of the π-conjugation in 2-(o-hydroxyphenyl) group gives rise to a blue shift. The EL properties also showed good consistency with their differences of ligand structure. Bright-blue EL emission with a maximum luminance of 3,100 cd/m2 at 12V, current density, 575 mA/m2 was obtained from the organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) using ZnPBO-4 as emitting layer. It was also found that the newly synthesized materials were suitable to be used as emitting materials in organic EL device.

White emission is important for applying organic EL devices to full-color flat panel display and backlight for liquid crystal display. In order to obtain white emission, the use of a light-emitting material which shows the white emission by itself is advantageous for these applications because of its high reliability and productivity. A chelate-metal complex such as zinc bis(2-(2-hydroxyphenyl) benzothiazolate) (Zn(BTZ)2 was known to emit white light with a broad electroluminescence. In this study, the electroluminescent characteristics of Be(BTZ)2 and Mg(BTZ)2, as well as Zn(BTS)2 were investigated using organic electroluminescent devices with the structure of ITO/TPD/ Be(BTZ)2, Mg(BTZ)2, or Zn(BTZ)2/Al. It was found that the device containing Be(BTZ)2 showed the highest power efficiency.