Professor Jeon Yong-min's Team Develops Core Technology for High-Performance, High-Reliability Fiber-Based Wearable OLED Electronic Devices

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Mar 26, 2024, 2:29:29 AMMar 26

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he Professor Yongmin Jeon Team at Gachon University

The research team led by Professor Yongmin Jeon from the Department of Biomedical Engineering at our university, in collaboration with Seoul National University and Chungbuk National University, has developed fiber-based wearable organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) that maintain reliability even in harsh environments while achieving over 73% light extraction efficiency. This research outcome, titled 'Highly Efficient and Reliable Organic Light-Emitting Diodes Enabled by a Multifunctional Hazy Substrate for Extreme Environments,' was published in the prestigious international journal Advanced Functional Materials (IF: 19.924) in December 2023.

Fiber-based wearable OLED technology can be applied in various fields such as electronic therapeutics, sensors, displays, fashion, and healthcare, leading to active research. However, outdoor use has been limited due to low light efficiency and sensitivity to high temperatures and strong ultraviolet radiation, leading to potential loss of light emission characteristics. Additionally, vulnerability to moisture and the inability to launder have posed significant practical barriers to commercialization.

To realize high-performance and high-reliability fiber-based wearable OLED electronic devices, the research team developed multifunctional core technologies. Firstly, they created a light-extraction substrate to effectively extract light emitted by the OLED components. By coating a hydrophilic layer onto the rough surface obtained through ion beam treatment, they achieved surface superhydrophobicity with excellent uniformity and easy power control. On this substrate, they produced a multi-barrier film based on nano-layered dispersion-based distributed Bragg reflectors and functional polymers, providing gas diffusion barriers and simultaneous ultraviolet filters.

The fiber-based OLED structure incorporating a multifunctional encapsulation layer

The performance of the multifunctional encapsulation layer in this study met the requirements for high performance (10-6 g/m-2/day) in terms of water vapor transmission rate, while achieving a UV transmission rate of less than 3%. Furthermore, when comprehensively evaluating the characteristics and lifespan of the developed fiber-based OLEDs, the light efficiency increased by over 73%, and the lifespan increased by more than four times.

Through this research, a washable OLED electronic fiber core technology has been developed, which maintains high light efficiency even in rainy or hot sunny weather, making it suitable for outdoor applications such as electronic therapeutics, neonatal jaundice treatment, light sensors, and displays.

Professor Yongmin Jeon stated, "We have achieved performance and reliability levels for fiber-based wearable OLEDs that are ready for commercialization." He also mentioned, "As this core technology can be applied to various organic devices, it is expected to be utilized in various fields such as fiber-based organic electronic therapeutics, organic solar cells, and organic light sensors."