1992/11/27 by Niyazi Serdar Sariçiftçi, Laura Smilowitz, A. J. Heeger +1 · 6 citations
Chemistry · Engineering · #Fullerene Chemistry and Applications #Synthesis and Properties of Aromatic Compounds #Organic Electronics and Photovoltaics
paper · doi:10.1126/science.258.5087.1474
openalex publication_date 1992/11/27 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04
Evidence for photoinduced electron transfer from the excited state of a conducting polymer onto buckminsterfullerene, C(60), is reported. After photo-excitation of the conjugated polymer with light of energy greater than the pi-pi* gap, an electron transfer to the C(60) molecule is initiated. Photoinduced optical absorption studies demonstrate a different excitation spectrum for the composite as compared to the separate components, consistent with photo-excited charge transfer. A photoinduced electron spin resonance signal exhibits signatures of both the conducting polymer cation and the C(60) anion. Because the photoluminescence in the conducting polymer is quenched by interaction with C(60), the data imply that charge transfer from the excited state occurs on a picosecond time scale. The charge-separated state in composite films is metastable at low temperatures.