A Universal Method to Produce Low–Work Function Electrodes for Organic Electronics

A Sturdy Electrode Coating To operate efficiently, organic devices—such as light-emitting diodes—require electrodes that emit or take up electrons at low applied voltages (that is, have low work functions). Often these electrodes are metals, such as calcium, that are not stable in air or water vapor and have to be protected from environmental damage. Zhou et al. (p. 327 ; see the Perspective by Helander ) report that a coating polymer containing aliphatic amine groups can lower the work functions of various types of electrodes by up to 1.7 electron volts and can be used in a variety of devices.