White organic light-emitting devices based on a novel derivative of oligo(phenylenvinylene), 2,5-diphenyl -1,4-distyrylbenzene with two trans-double bonds (trans-DPDSB), and an ultrathin layer of 5,6,11,12-tetraphenylnaphthacene (rubrene) are reported. N,N'-diphenyl-N,N'-bis(1-naphthyl)-(1,1'-biphenyl)-4,4'-diamine, tris (8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum, trans-DPDSB and rubrene are used as hole-transporting, electron-transporting, blue light-emitting and yellow light-emitting layers, respectively. The maximum luminance, maximum efficiency and Commission Internationale De L'Eclairage coordinates at 1000 cd/m(2) of the devices with 5 and 10-nm-thick trans-DPDSB at a fixed rubrene thickness of 0.1 nm are 8700 cd/m(2), 4.1 cd/A and (0.38,0.42), and 5200 cd/m, 3.7 cd/A and (0.29, 0.31), respectively. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.