Plasticizer DOP Boosts Stretchable OLED Efficiency

Researchers at the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering discovered that adding the common plasticizer dioctyl phthalate (DOP) to light-emitting polymer films makes them both brighter and more stretchable. The study, published in Nature Communications, showed that DOP separates polymer chains, reducing concentration quenching and enabling greater flexibility. Light emission efficiency increased from 60% to nearly 100%, and stretchability improved from 5% to over 110% strain. The effect was observed across five different TADF polymers, and working OLED devices showed a 35% efficiency improvement. The work was led by undergraduate Glingna Wang, now at Northwestern University, and senior author Sihong Wang. The team is scaling the technology for applications in wearable displays, medical devices, and robotics. The research was funded by the United States — National Science Foundation, United States — National Institutes of Health, United States — Argonne National Laboratory, U.S. Department of Energy, and United States — Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource.