Photoconduction in homogeneous photoplastic recording film

Bulk photoconductive properties of a photoplastic recording film composed of tetracyanoethylene and pyrene dissolved in polystyrene were investigated. Current-voltage dependence was consistent with Schottky emission from the electrode into the dielectric. Steady state photocurrent was directly proportional to illumination with a gain of 10(-5) electron/photon. From the optical absorption spectra, the presence of charge-transfer complexes of tetracyanoethylene with pyrene and polystyrene was established. The photoconduction action spectrum and the concentration dependence of photoconductivity pointed to the tetracyanoethylene-pyrene complex as the source of photogenerated carriers. Complexed polystyrene appeared to act as a semiconducting matrix with an apparent activation energy of 0.6-0.8 eV.