Charge Trapping and Storage by Composite P3HT/PC₆₀BM Nanoparticles Investigated by Fluorescence-Voltage/Single Particle Spectroscopy

Abstract

Fluorescence-voltage/single particle spectroscopy (F-V/SPS) was employed to study exciton-hole polaron interactions and interfacial charge transfer processes for pure poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) nanoparticles (NPs) and composite P3HT/PC(60)BM NPs in functioning hole-injection devices. F-V/SPS data collected on a particle-by-particle basis reveal an apparent bistability in the fluorescence-voltage modulation curves for composite NPs of P3HT and [6,6]-phenyl-C(61)-butyric acid methyl ester (PC(60)BM) that is absent for pure P3HT NPs. A pronounced deep trapping of free electrons photogenerated from the composite P3HT/PC(60)BM NPs at the NP/dielectric interface and hole trapping by fullerene anions in composite P3HT/PC(60)BM NPs under photoexcitation lies at the basis of this finding. The deep electron trapping effect reported here for composite conjugated polymer/fullerene NPs presents an opportunity for future application of these NPs in nanoscale memory and imaging devices.

Fluorescent nanoparticles from PEGylated polyfluorenes

“…15 potential for use in applications ranging from biological imaging to consumer electronics. [1][2][3][4][5][6][7] CPNs can be considered .as alternatives to the use of Quantum Dots (QDs) as they are small (ca. 10 -200 nm), bright, exhibit photostable fluorescence that can be tuned across the visible spectrum and can be isolated as 20 stable dispersions in water.…”

Optical properties of (Z)-2-(2-phenylhydrazinylidene)acenaphthen-1(2H)-one: a potential electron donor in organic solar cells

“…The emission fluorescence of a solution of PDAK in the excited state was quenched 22.5, 39.2, 50.5, 52.0, 68.3, 72.3, 78.9, 81.8 and 84.2% when the masses of added C 60 were 0.3, 0.6, 0.9, 1.2, 1.5, 1.8, 2.1, 2.4 and 2.7 times as much as that of PDAK, respectively. These curves suggest that excitation of electrons in PDAK is followed by electron transfer to C 60 (Hu & Gesquiere, 2011;Zhang et al, 2015). As a result, the emission fluorescence of PDAK in the excited state was reduced.…”

“…Fluorescence quenching experiments have been employed to detect charge transfer from electronic donors in an excited state to electronic acceptors (Hu & Gesquiere, 2011;Rehm & Weller, 1970) and were performed here, according to literature methods (Hu & Gesquiere, 2011), to investigate charge transfer between PDAK and C 60 .…”

Probing Inter- and Intra-chain Excitonic Coupling in Crystalline Polythiophene Nanofibers and Nanoparticles

“…blends with the common electron-transporter PCBM), exciton dissociation competes strongly with recombination resulting in a strongly attenuated photoluminescence signal. (32,33) To this end, we have developed near-field absorption probes of local aggregate structure. Our approach uses a near-field excitation probe (532 nm) with 50 -150 nm inner diameter aperture.…”