Extending the Operational Lifetime of Electrochemiluminescence Devices by Installing a Floating Bipolar Electrode

Abstract Electrochemiluminescence (ECL) holds significant promise for the development of cost‐effective light‐emitting devices because of its simple structure. However, conventional ECL devices (ECLDs) have a major limitation of short operational lifetimes, rendering them impractical for real‐world applications. Typically, the luminescence of these devices lasts no longer than a few minutes during operation. In the current study, a novel architecture is provided for ECLDs that addresses this luminescence lifespan issue. The device architecture features an ECL active layer between two coplanar driving electrodes and a third floating bipolar electrode. The inclusion of the floating bipolar electrode enables modulating the electrical‐field distribution within the active layer when a bias is applied between the driving electrodes. This, in turn, enables the use of opaque yet electrochemicall…