Photoconducting Devices with Response in the Visible-Near-Infrared Region Based on Neutral Ni Complexes of...

Metal bis(1,2-dithiolene) complexes belonging to the class [Ni(Ar-edt)₂] [Ar-edt^2- = arylethylene-1,2-dithiolate; Ar = phenyl, (1), 2-naphthyl (2); x = 0 and 1] were fully characterized by NMR, UV-visible-near-infrared (UV-vis-NIR), diffuse reflectance, and FT-IR spectroscopy, as well as cyclic voltammetry and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis. These complexes have emerged as new photoconducting materials that allowed for the development of a prototype of photodetectors with response in the vis-NIR region. The photodetecting devices showed in some cases quantum efficiencies orders of magnitude higher than those of previously reported 1,2-dithiolene systems.