Summary: We illustrate the ink‐jet printing of a thin‐film library of donor/acceptor systems useful in bulk heterojunction solar cells and their characterization utilizing a UV‐vis/fluorescence plate reader and an optical profilometer. In addition, the morphology of the films has been examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM). The ink‐jet processing technology allows printing of arrays of different donor/acceptor compositions on one substrate as well as the subsequent fast optical screening of the electron transfer processes. The investigated films consist of blends of a poly(methyl methacrylate) polypyridyl ruthenium(II) copolymer (RuPMMA) as electron donor material (p‐type) and C60 fullerene (PC60BM) as well as heptyl viologen (C7‐V) derivatives as electron acceptor materials (n‐type).Ink‐jet printing process and investigated donor/acceptor pair (RuPMMA‐PC60BM).magnified imageInk‐jet printing process and investigated donor/acceptor pair (RuPMMA‐PC60BM).
Summary: Defined films of luminescent ruthenium(II) polypyridyl‐poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and iridium(III) polypyridyl‐polystyrene (PS) copolymers could be prepared by ink‐jet printing. The copolymers were deposited on photoresist‐patterned glass substrates. Films as thin as 120 nm could be printed with a roughness of 1 to 2%. In addition, the film thickness could be varied in a controlled way through the number of droplets deposited per unit area. The topography of the ink‐jet printed films was analyzed utilizing an optical profilometer. The absorbance and emission spectra were measured using fast parallel UV‐vis and fluorescence plate reader.Photo of the solutions of luminescent ruthenium (left) and iridium (right) containing polymers in a glass microtiter plate (top). The subsequently prepared films using ink‐jet dispensing techniques are shown below.magnified imagePhoto of the solutions of luminescent ruthenium (left) and iridium (right) containing polymers in a glass microtiter plate (top). The subsequently prepared films using ink‐jet dispensing techniques are shown below.
Cover: The cover shows various aspects of ink-jet printing of polymers: a thickness library of films of electroluminescent polymer, ink-jet printing polymers on a MALDI target and a chainlike structure that remains after ink-jet printing a line of polymer-containing droplets. The foreground shows an ejected droplet of butylacetate with various satellite droplets.Further details can be found in the Communication by E. Tekin, E. Holder, V. Marin, B.-J. de Gans, and U. S. Schubert* on page 293.
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