Light-induced electron paramagnetic resonance evidence of charge transfer in electrospun fibers containing conjugated polymer/fullerene and conjugated polymer/fullerene/carbon nanotube blends

Journal Article · Mon Mar 12 04:00:00 EDT 2012 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3693520· OSTI ID:22025468

Shames, Alexander I ^[1]; Bounioux, Celine ^[2]; Katz, Eugene A ^[2]; Yerushalmi-Rozen, Rachel ^[3]; Zussman, Eyal ^[4]

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1. Department of Physics, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba 84105 (Israel)
2. Department of Solar Energy and Environmental Physics, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Sede Boker Campus 84990 (Israel)
3. Ilze Katz Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer-Sheva 84105 (Israel)
4. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technion, Haifa 32000 (Israel)

Electrospun sub-micron fibers containing conjugated polymer (poly(3-hexylthiophene), P3HT) with a fullerene derivative, phenyl-C61-butyric acid methylester (PCBM) or a mixture of PCBM and single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) were studied by light-induced electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results provide experimental evidence of electron transfer between PCBM and P3HT components in both fiber systems and suggest that the presence of a dispersing block-copolymer, which acts via physical adsorption onto the PCBM and SWCNT moieties, does not prevent electron transfer at the P3HT-PCBM interface. These findings suggest a research perspective towards utilization of fibers of functional nanocomposites in fiber-based organic optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices. The latter can be developed in the textile-type large area photovoltaics or individual fiber-based solar cells that will broaden energy applications from macro-power tools to micro-nanoscale power conversion devices and smart textiles.

• OSTI ID: 22025468
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 11 Vol. 100; ISSN APPLAB; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ADSORPTION
BUTYRIC ACID
CHARGE EXCHANGE
COMPOSITE MATERIALS
COPOLYMERS
ELECTRON SPIN RESONANCE
ELECTRON TRANSFER
FIBERS
FULLERENES
INTERFACES
NANOTUBES
PHOTOVOLTAIC EFFECT
REINFORCED MATERIALS
SOLAR CELLS
VISIBLE RADIATION