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Updated: May 6, 2026

Synthesis and Characterization of Supramolecular Colloids
Published on: April 22, 2016
Quantitative Singlet Fission in Solution-Processable Dithienohexatrienes
Kealan J Fallon1,2, Nipun Sawhney2, Daniel T W Toolan3
1Department of Chemistry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1EW, U.K.
Abstract:
Singlet fission (SF) is a promising strategy to overcome thermalization losses and enhance the efficiency of single junction photovoltaics (PVs). The development of this field has been strongly material-limited, with a paucity of materials able to undergo SF. Rarer still are examples that can produce excitons of sufficient energy to be coupled to silicon PVs (>1.1 eV). Herein, we examine a series of a short-chain polyene, dithienohexatriene (DTH), with tailored material properties and triplet (T1) energy levels greater than 1.1 eV. We find that these highly soluble materials can be easily spin-cast to create thin films of high crystallinity that exhibit ultrafast singlet fission with near perfect triplet yields of up to 192%. We believe that these materials are the first solution-processable singlet fission materials with quantitative triplet formation and energy levels appropriate for use in conjunction with silicon PVs.
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