Schlingman Kory, Chen Yiting, Carmichael R Stephen, Carmichael Tricia Breen
Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of Windsor, Windsor, ON, N9B 3P4, Canada.
Adv Mater. 2021 May;33(21):e2006863. doi: 10.1002/adma.202006863. Epub 2021 Apr 14.
Light-emitting electrochemical cells (LECs) are simple electroluminescent devices comprising an emissive material containing mobile ions sandwiched between two electrodes. The operating mechanism of the LEC involves both ionic and electronic transport, distinguishing it from its more well-known cousin, the organic light-emitting diode (OLED). While OLEDs have become a leading player in commercial displays, LECs have flourished in academic research due to the simple device architecture and unique features of its operating mechanism, inviting exploration of new materials and fabrication strategies. These explorations have brought LECs to an exciting frontier in advanced optoelectronics: flexible and stretchable light-emitting devices. Flexible and stretchable LECs are discussed herein, presenting the LEC system as a robust and fault-tolerant development platform. The engineering of emissive composites is highlighted to control mechanical properties, and how the tolerance of LECs to electrode work function and roughness has enabled the incorporation of new electrode materials to achieve flexibility and stretchability. As part of this story, the solution processability of LECs has led to exciting demonstrations of flexible and printed LECs. An outlook is provided for LECs that builds on these strengths, potentially leading to flexible, stretchable, low-cost devices such as illuminated tags, smart packaging, flexible signage, and wearable illumination.
发光电化学电池（LEC）是一种简单的电致发光器件，由夹在两个电极之间的含有移动离子的发光材料组成。LEC的工作机制涉及离子和电子传输，这使其有别于更为知名的同类产品——有机发光二极管（OLED）。虽然OLED已成为商业显示器的主导者，但由于其简单的器件结构和独特的工作机制特点，LEC在学术研究中蓬勃发展，引发了对新材料和制造策略的探索。这些探索将LEC带入了先进光电子学中一个令人兴奋的前沿领域：柔性和可拉伸发光器件。本文讨论了柔性和可拉伸LEC，将LEC系统展示为一个强大且容错的开发平台。重点介绍了发光复合材料的工程设计以控制机械性能，以及LEC对电极功函数和粗糙度的耐受性如何使得能够采用新的电极材料来实现柔韧性和可拉伸性。作为这个故事的一部分，LEC的溶液可加工性带来了柔性和可印刷LEC的精彩展示。基于这些优势，对LEC的前景进行了展望，这可能会带来诸如发光标签、智能包装、柔性标识和可穿戴照明等柔性、可拉伸、低成本的器件。
