GB1066928A - Electroluminescence - Google Patents

Abstract

A light-emissive cell comprises two electrodes, and a medium comprising an inert solvent, a fluorescent organic compound and a supporting electrolyte; upon passage of an alternating current, light emission occurs at the electrodes of a wavelength corresponding to the conversion of the fluorescent compounds to an oxidized or a reduced state. Fluorescent compounds mentioned are: 1,4-dimethoxyanthracene; 1 - methoxy - 9,10 - diphenyl anthracene; 9,10 - diphenyl anthracene; 1,4 - dimethoxy-9,10 - diphenyl anthracene; 2,3 - benzofluoro-anthracene; anthracene; rubrene; pyrene; coronene; decacyclene; b -dinaphthalene oxide; 1,3 - diphenylisobenzofuran; 1,7 - phenanthroline; benzo - (1,2,3 - g,h: 4,5,6 - g1,h1) - diphenanthridine; N - methyl phenothiazine; perylene; 1,10-phenanthroline. The inert solvent may be dimethyl formamide, 1,2-dimethoxy ethane, or dioxane containing up to 10% water, and may be a gel. The electrolyte may have as anion: a perchlorate, a hexafluoroarsenate, a hexafluorophosphate, a chloride or a bromide ion, and as cation an alkali metal (e.g. lithium), an alkaline earth, or a tetraalkyl ammonium, e.g. tetrabutyl ammonium ion. The electrode may be platinum, carbon, tantalum, mercury, or stainless steel. The cells may be tubular or cube-shaped, may contain many pairs of electrodes, each pair operating independently, may have the electrodes shaped or masked to represent characters &c. or may be coated with a fluorescent material.