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Updated: May 28, 2026
Recombination Dynamics in Thin-film Photovoltaic Materials via Time-resolved Microwave Conductivity
Published on: March 6, 2017
Charge trapping and storage by composite P3HT/PC60BM nanoparticles investigated by fluorescence-voltage/single
Zhongjian Hu1, Andre J Gesquiere
1NanoScience Technology Center, Department of Chemistry and CREOL, The College of Optics and Photonics, University of Central Florida, 12424 Research Parkway Suite 400, Orlando, Florida 32826, USA.
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.
