Charge transfer in fullerene-conducting polymer composite: Electronic and excitonic properties

TLDR: In this paper, photoexcited excitons or exciton-polarons on conducting polymer are effectively dissociated at C60 molecules transferring electrons to C60, which results in the transfer of hole from C60 to conducting polymer.

Abstract: C60 doping into conducting polymer with highly extended π-electron system in the main chain induces remarkable quenching of photoluminescence in conducting polymer and drastic enhancement of photoconductivity. These results can be explained in terms of photo-induced charge transfer between conducting polymer and C60. That is, photoexcited excitons or exciton-polarons on conducting polymer are effectively dissociated at C60 molecules transferring electrons to C60. Photoexcitation of C60 results in the transfer of hole from C60 to conducting polymer. These novel C60 doping effects have been observed not only in conducting polymers with non-degenerated ground state structures but also those with degenerated ground state structure such as di-substituted acetylene polymers with solitonic electronic systems. Highly effective photo-induced charge transfer has been also observed in conducting polymer/C60 heterojunctions, which are interpreted as donor (D)-acceptor (A) photocell. Based on this finding we ...