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Title: Polymorphism influences singlet fission rates in tetracene thin films

Journal Article · · Chemical Science
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1039/C5SC03535J· OSTI ID:1238105
 [1];  [1];  [2];  [2];  [3]
  1. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States); Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
  2. Univ. of Colorado, Boulder, CO (United States)
  3. National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)

Here, we report the effect of crystal structure and crystallite grain size on singlet fission (SF) in polycrystalline tetracene, one of the most widely studied SF and organic semiconductor materials. SF has been comprehensively studied in one polymoprh (Tc I), but not in the other, less stable polymorph (Tc II). Using carefully controlled thermal evaporation deposition conditions and high sensitivity ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopy, we found that for large crystallite size samples, SF in nearly pure Tc II films is significantly faster than SF in Tc I films. We also discovered that crystallite size has a minimal impact on the SF rate in Tc II films, but a significant influence in Tc I films. Large crystallites exhibit SF times of 125 ps and 22 ps in Tc I and Tc II, respectively, whereas small crystallites have SF times of 31 ps and 33 ps. Our results demonstrate first, that attention must be paid to polymorphism in obtaining a self-consistent rate picture for SF in tetracene and second, that control of polymorphism can play a significant role towards achieving a mechanistic understanding of SF in polycrystalline systems. In this latter context we show that conventional theory based on non-covalent tetracene couplings is insufficient, thus highlighting the need for models that capture the delocalized and highly mobile nature of excited states in elucidating the full photophysical picture.

Research Organization:
National Renewable Energy Lab. (NREL), Golden, CO (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC36-08GO28308
OSTI ID:
1238105
Report Number(s):
NREL/JA-5900-65001; CSHCBM
Journal Information:
Chemical Science, Vol. 7, Issue 2; Related Information: Chemical Science; ISSN 2041-6520
Publisher:
Royal Society of ChemistryCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 105 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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  • Beard, Matthew C.; Johnson, Justin C.; Luther, Joseph M.
  • Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, Vol. 373, Issue 2044 https://doi.org/10.1098/rsta.2014.0412
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Cited By (19)

Triplet Transfer Mediates Triplet Pair Separation during Singlet Fission in 6,13-Bis(triisopropylsilylethynyl)-Pentacene journal October 2017
Liquid Crystallinity as a Self‐Assembly Motif for High‐Efficiency, Solution‐Processed, Solid‐State Singlet Fission Materials journal July 2019
Pentacene Dimers as a Critical Tool for the Investigation of Intramolecular Singlet Fission journal March 2018
Morphology-Independent Efficient Singlet Exciton Fission in Perylene Diimide Thin Films journal February 2018
Harnessing singlet exciton fission to break the Shockley–Queisser limit journal October 2017
Vibronically coherent ultrafast triplet-pair formation and subsequent thermally activated dissociation control efficient endothermic singlet fission journal September 2017
Quintet multiexciton dynamics in singlet fission journal October 2016
Identifying triplet pathways in dilute pentacene films journal October 2018
Impact of non-equilibrium molecular packings on singlet fission in microcrystals observed using 2D white-light microscopy journal December 2019
Crystallisation, thermal analysis and acetal protection activity of new layered Zn( ii ) hybrid polymorphs journal January 2016
Topology of quantum coherence networks in singlet fission: mapping exciton states into real space and the dislocation induced three dimensional manifolds journal January 2020
Conversion between triplet pair states is controlled by molecular coupling in pentadithiophene thin films journal January 2020
On the possibility of singlet fission in crystalline quaterrylene journal May 2018
Molecular structure of the substrate-induced thin-film phase of tetracene journal October 2018
Vibrational probe of the origin of singlet exciton fission in TIPS-pentacene solutions journal October 2019
Structure and photophysics of indigoids for singlet fission: Cibalackrot journal November 2019
Identifying triplet pathways in dilute pentacene films collection January 2018
Vibronically coherent ultrafast triplet-pair formation and subsequent thermally activated dissociation control efficient endothermic singlet fission. text January 2017
On the Possibility of Singlet Fission in Crystalline Quaterrylene text January 2017

Figures / Tables (6)


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