Electronic Structure and Dynamics at Organic Donor/Acceptor Interfaces

Journal Article · Mon Jan 31 04:00:00 EST 2011 · MRS Bull.

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1557/mrs2010.582· OSTI ID:1065531

Zhu, Xiaoyang ^[1]; Kahn, Antoine ^[2]

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1. Univ. of Texas, Austin, TX (United States). Dept. of Chemistry and Biochemistry
2. Princeton Univ., NJ (United States). Dept. of Electrical Engineering

We present our understanding of the electronic energy landscape and dynamics of charge separation at organic donor/acceptor interfaces. The organic/organic interface serves as a valuable point of reference and plays an important role in emerging electronic and optoelectronic applications, particularly organic photovoltaics (OPVs). The key issue on electronic structure at organic donor/acceptor interfaces is the difference in the lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals or that in the highest occupied molecular orbitals. This difference represents an energy gain needed to overcome the exciton binding energy in a charge-separation process in OPV. A sufficiently large energy gain favors the formation of charge transfer (CT) states that are energetically close to the charge-separation state. At an organic donor/acceptor interface in an OPV device, these high-energy CT states, also called hot CT excitons, are necessary intermediates in a successful charge-separation process.

• Research Organization: Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRC); Understanding Charge Separation and Transfer at Interfaces in Energy Materials (CST)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: SC0001091
• OSTI ID: 1065531
• Journal Information: MRS Bull., Journal Name: MRS Bull. Journal Issue: 06 Vol. 35; ISSN MRSBEA; ISSN 0883-7694
• Publisher: Materials Research Society
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

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