Media

HKU chemist Professor Vivian Yam led research generates industrial-competitive materials and technologies for Organic Light-Emitting Devices and Organic Photovoltaics

12 Dec 2017

Recent advances in the design of high-performance phosphorescent emitters have led to the leap-forward development of organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) and their applications in commercial electronic products, including computer monitors, cellular phones, and high-density televisions.

Nowadays, almost all commercially available OLED materials are iridium(III) phosphors, with most of the key patents held by foreign countries, including US and Europe. This currently takes up more than 90 % of the OLED market, and the industry usually needs to pay high licensing fees for mass production.

With the funding support of Research Grants Council’s Theme-based Research Scheme (first round), a multi-institutional team led by the University of Hong Kong (HKU), with collaborators from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST), Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), the Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) and City University of Hong Kong (CityU) was established to meet the challenge of producing industrial-competitive materials and technologies for next-generation Organic Light-Emitting Devices and Organic Photovoltaics. In five years, the team has generated products ready for commercialisation and Hong Kong-owned intellectual rights, patents and technological know-how that are industrial-competitive.

The  team led by Professor Vivian W.W. Yam from the Department of Chemistry, with Professor C.M. Che from the Department as another Co-Principal Investigator are responsible for the design and synthesis of highly efficient phosphorescent materials from metals other than iridium. Various new classes of OLED materials and highly efficient OLED devices with specifications meeting the industrial standards have been generated. They are having good potential of sharing the huge market now dominated by iridium(III) phosphors and have attracted a lot of interests from industry.

Professor Yam will hold a media briefing tomorrow to introduce the new OLED materials developed by the team. Details are as follows:

Date: December 13, 2017 (Wednesday)
Time: 11am
Venue: Room 412 Conference Room, Hui Oi Chow Science Building Room, HKU (map)

For media enquiry, please contact: Melanie Wan, Communications and Public Affairs Office, HKU, tel: (852) 2859 2600/ email: melwkwan@hku.hk.