Patent ID: 7601436

Claim:
An organic light emitting device, comprising: (a) an anode; (b) a cathode; (c) an organic layer disposed between the anode and the cathode, wherein the organic layer comprises a compound having one or more carbene ligands coordinated to a metal center, and wherein the compound has the structure: wherein M is a metal; ring D is an aromatic cyclic, heterocyclic, fused cyclic, or fused heterocyclic ring; A is C, N, or P; wherein ring D can be optionally substituted with one or more substituents R 2 ; and R 1 and R 2 are independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aralkyl, CN, CF 3 , CO 2 R′, C(O)R′, C(O)NR′ 2 , NR′ 2 , NO 2 , OR′, SR′, SO 2 , SOR′, SO 3 R′, halo, aryl, heteroaryl, substituted aryl, substituted heteroaryl, or a heterocyclic group; R 3 is independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aralkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, substituted aryl, substituted heteroaryl, or a heterocyclic group; and additionally or alternatively, two R groups on the same or adjacent ring, together form a 5 or 6-member cyclic group, wherein said cyclic group is cycloalkyl, cycloheteroalkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl; and wherein said cyclic group is optionally substituted by one or more substituents J; each substituent J is independently selected from the group consisting of R′, CN, CF 3 , C(O)OR′, C(O)R′, C(O)NR′ 2 , NR′ 2 , NO 2 , OR′, SR′, SO 2 , SOR′, or SO 3 R′, and additionally, or alternatively, two J groups on adjacent ring atoms form a fused 5- or 6-membered aromatic group; each R′ is independently selected from halo, H, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, heteroalkyl, aralkyl, aryl, and heteroaryl; α is 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4; c is 0, 1, or 2; (X-Y) is a photoactive ligand or an ancillary ligand; m is a value from 1 to the maximum number of ligands that may be attached to metal M; and m+n is the maximum number of ligands that may be attached to metal M.