Abstract:Femtosecond
transient absorption and time-resolved fluorescence
techniques are employed to study the formation and recombination processes
of the charge transfer (CT) state in a series of liquid-crystalline
conjugated donor–acceptor (D–A) co-oligomers F3T4-hP,
F4T6-hP, and F5T8-hP. It is revealed that the CT state of the D–A
co-oligomer film forms faster but recombines slower than that of its
solution, which is beneficial for the charges to be extracted in the
D–A co-oligomer-based photovoltaic cells. It is al… Show more
“…The first system is a model for a regioregular P3HT‐PCBM junction, where exciton and charge delocalization are found to exert a pronounced effect on the ultrafast charge separation dynamics. The second system represents alternative architectures that rely on the self‐assembly of covalently bound DA block co‐polymers or co‐oligomers . We specifically address recently developed oligothiophene‐perylene diimide (OT‐PDI) based DA dyad and DAD triad combinations that are organized in smectic liquid crystalline (LC) films or else lamellar mesophases .…”
We review recent work employing high-dimensional quantum dynamical techniques to study ultrafast charge separation in functional organic materials, in view of understanding the key microscopic factors that lead to efficient charge generation in photovoltaics applications. As highlighted by recent experiments, these processes can be guided by quantum coherence, despite the presence of static and dynamic disorder. The present approach combines first-principles parametrized lattice Hamiltonians, based on Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) and/or high-level electronic structure calculations, with accurate quantum dynamics simulations using the Multi-Configuration Time-Dependent Hartree (MCTDH) method. This contribution specifically addresses the mechanism of charge generation in (i) regioregular oligothiophene-fullerene aggregates, and (ii) highly ordered oligothiophene-perylene diimide co-oligomer assemblies. These studies highlight that chemical design of donor-acceptor combinations needs to account for the effects of electronic delocalization and the modified energetics due to molecular packing, as well as multiple transfer pathways and internal conversion channels induced by vibronic interactions.excitonic states, molecular packing, organic photovoltaics, quantum dynamics, ultrafast charge separation
| I N TR ODU C TI ONIn organic donor-acceptor (DA) materials developed for photovoltaics applications, the break-up of photogenerated excitons at DA heterojunction interfaces initiates the irreversible separation of charge carriers. [1,2] Over the past few years, it has become increasingly clear that the efficiency of this process depends on a complex interplay of different factors, such that design principles based on the engineering of molecular structure and DA band offsets are not necessarily sufficient. Indeed, the photochemical processes inherent to the molecular donor and acceptor materials necessitate a molecular-level analysis that may deviate from the basic picture derived from semiconductor physics. This is underscored by an increasing body of evidence from time-resolved spectroscopies [3][4][5][6][7] showing that the elementary energy and charge transfer (CT) processes in typical photovoltaic materials are often of quantum coherent character. Conventional kinetic descriptions are therefore not apt to render a faithful picture of these elementary steps, and may only be valid on longer time scales where hopping type transport dynamics sets in.Even long-range electron-hole separation under the effect of a Coulomb barrier may not necessarily obey the slow, thermally activated dynamics described by the Onsager-Braun model. [8] Indeed, recent time-resolved experiments, for example, for prototypical blends of poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) and the fullerene derivative [6,6]-phenyl-C 61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and related systems, report ultrafast longrange charge separation, especially in materials exhibiting regioregular morphologies. [9][10][11][12][13][14][15] To explain these ob...
“…The first system is a model for a regioregular P3HT‐PCBM junction, where exciton and charge delocalization are found to exert a pronounced effect on the ultrafast charge separation dynamics. The second system represents alternative architectures that rely on the self‐assembly of covalently bound DA block co‐polymers or co‐oligomers . We specifically address recently developed oligothiophene‐perylene diimide (OT‐PDI) based DA dyad and DAD triad combinations that are organized in smectic liquid crystalline (LC) films or else lamellar mesophases .…”
We review recent work employing high-dimensional quantum dynamical techniques to study ultrafast charge separation in functional organic materials, in view of understanding the key microscopic factors that lead to efficient charge generation in photovoltaics applications. As highlighted by recent experiments, these processes can be guided by quantum coherence, despite the presence of static and dynamic disorder. The present approach combines first-principles parametrized lattice Hamiltonians, based on Time-Dependent Density Functional Theory (TDDFT) and/or high-level electronic structure calculations, with accurate quantum dynamics simulations using the Multi-Configuration Time-Dependent Hartree (MCTDH) method. This contribution specifically addresses the mechanism of charge generation in (i) regioregular oligothiophene-fullerene aggregates, and (ii) highly ordered oligothiophene-perylene diimide co-oligomer assemblies. These studies highlight that chemical design of donor-acceptor combinations needs to account for the effects of electronic delocalization and the modified energetics due to molecular packing, as well as multiple transfer pathways and internal conversion channels induced by vibronic interactions.excitonic states, molecular packing, organic photovoltaics, quantum dynamics, ultrafast charge separation
| I N TR ODU C TI ONIn organic donor-acceptor (DA) materials developed for photovoltaics applications, the break-up of photogenerated excitons at DA heterojunction interfaces initiates the irreversible separation of charge carriers. [1,2] Over the past few years, it has become increasingly clear that the efficiency of this process depends on a complex interplay of different factors, such that design principles based on the engineering of molecular structure and DA band offsets are not necessarily sufficient. Indeed, the photochemical processes inherent to the molecular donor and acceptor materials necessitate a molecular-level analysis that may deviate from the basic picture derived from semiconductor physics. This is underscored by an increasing body of evidence from time-resolved spectroscopies [3][4][5][6][7] showing that the elementary energy and charge transfer (CT) processes in typical photovoltaic materials are often of quantum coherent character. Conventional kinetic descriptions are therefore not apt to render a faithful picture of these elementary steps, and may only be valid on longer time scales where hopping type transport dynamics sets in.Even long-range electron-hole separation under the effect of a Coulomb barrier may not necessarily obey the slow, thermally activated dynamics described by the Onsager-Braun model. [8] Indeed, recent time-resolved experiments, for example, for prototypical blends of poly-3-hexylthiophene (P3HT) and the fullerene derivative [6,6]-phenyl-C 61 butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) and related systems, report ultrafast longrange charge separation, especially in materials exhibiting regioregular morphologies. [9][10][11][12][13][14][15] To explain these ob...
“…The solution used for preparing these co-oligomers was o-dichlorobenzene, with a concentration of about 0.1 mg/ml. This concentration can not only ensure that a good time-resolved signal can be measured, but also can ensure that the chromophore is fully separated, so that the excited state will not be quenched under the excitation intensity used [ 24 ]. Fig.…”
Section: Materials and Experimental Methodsmentioning
Intramolecular exciton dissociation is critical for high efficient mobile charge carrier generations in organic solar cells. Yet despite much attention, the effects of π bridges on exciton dissociation dynamics in donor–π–acceptor (D-π-A) alternating conjugated polymers remain still unclear. Here, using a combination of femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy and steady-state spectroscopy, we track ultrafast intramolecular exciton relaxation dynamics in three D-π-A alternating conjugated polymers which were synthesized by Qin's group and named HSD-A, HSD-B, HSD-C. It is found that the addition of thiophene unit as π bridges will lead to the red shift of steady-state absorption spectrum. Importantly, we reveal the existence of a new intramolecular exciton dissociation pathway mediated by a bridge-specific charge transfer (CT′) state with the TA fingerprint peak at 1200 nm in π-bridged HSD-B and HSD-C. This CT′ state results in higher electron capture rates for HSD-B and HSD-C as compared to HSD-A. Depending on the proportion of CT′ state and nongeminate recombination are important step for the understanding of high power conversion efficiencies in HSD-B than in HSD-C. We propose that this bridge-specific exciton dissociation pathway plays an important role in ultrafast intramolecular exciton dissociation of organic photovoltaic material D-π-A alternating conjugated polymers.
“…This concentration can not only ensure that a good time-resolved signal can be measured, but also can ensure that the chromophore is fully separated, so that the excited state will not be quenched under the excitation intensity used. [22] 2.2 Spectroscopic measurements Steady-state absorption spectroscopy was measured by a dual-beam spectrophotometer (Cary-5000, Agilent), and the steady-state uorescence spectroscopy was measured by a ber optic spectrometer (USB-4000, Ocean Optics).…”
Intramolecular exciton dissociation is critical for high efficient mobile charge carrier generations in organic solar cells. Yet despite much attention, the effects of π bridges on exciton dissociation dynamics in Donor-π-Acceptor (D-π-A) alternating conjugated polymers remain still unclear. Here, using a combination of femtosecond time-resolved transient absorption (TA) spectroscopy and steady-state spectroscopy, we track ultrafast intramolecular exciton relaxation dynamics in three D-π-A alternating conjugated polymers which were synthesized by Qin's group and named HSD-A, HSD-B, HSD-C. It is found that the addition of thiophene unit as π bridges will lead to the red shift of steady-state absorption spectrum. Importantly, we reveal the existence of a new intramolecular exciton dissociation pathway mediated by a bridge-specific charge transfer (CT') state with the TA fingerprint peak at 1200 nm in π-bridged HSD-B and HSD-C. This CT' state results in higher electron capture rates for HSD-B and HSD-C as compared to HSD-A. Depending on the proportion of CT' state and nongeminate recombination are important step for the understanding of high power conversion efficiencies in HSD-B than in HSD-C. We propose that this bridge-specific exciton dissociation pathway plays an important role in ultrafast intramolecular exciton dissociation of organic photovoltaic material D-π-A alternating conjugated polymers.
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