Pyridine based electron transport type host materials were developed and their device performances were investigated according to doping concentration. The pyridine substituent was combined with a spirofluorenebenzofluorene core unit and a high quantum efficiency of 13.3% was achieved in red phosphorescent organic light-emitting diodes at a low doping concentration of 2%. A simple red device without any electron transport layer could be fabricated and a simple device without any electron transport layer showed better power efficiency than the standard device with an electron transport layer. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.