Redox-controlled potassium intercalation into two polyaromatic hydrocarbon solids

Alkali metal intercalation into polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) has been studied intensely after reports of superconductivity in a number of potassium- and rubidium-intercalated materials. There are, however, no reported crystal structures to inform our understanding of the chemistry and physics because of the complex reactivity of PAHs with strong reducing agents at high temperature. Here we present the synthesis of crystalline K2Pentacene and K2Picene by a solid–solid insertion protocol that uses potassium hydride as a redox-controlled reducing agent to access the PAH dianions, and so enables the determination of their crystal structures. In both cases, the inserted cations expand the parent herringbone packings by reorienting the molecular anions to create multiple potassium sites within initially dense molecular layers, and thus interact with the PAH anion π systems. The synthetic and crystal chemistry of alkali metal intercalation into PAHs differs from that into fullerenes and graphite, in which the cation sites are pre-defined by the host structure

Operation of a reversed pentacene-fullerene discrete heterojunction photovoltaic device 10.1063/1.2713345

The photoresponse of reversed bilayer organic photovoltaic device based on pentacene and C-60 is examined, and the mechanism of photocurrent generation is shown to be different to that in conventional heterojunction devices, with free charge carriers generated at the electrode-organic interfaces rather than the organic heterojunction. This hypothesis is tested with silver nanoclusters incorporated at the organic heterojunction to quench excitons and facilitate recombination of free charge carriers, which shows a predicted increase in J(sc). The large V-oc in this reversed cell structure is also rationalized in the context of the model proposed.</p

Operation of a reversed pentacene-fullerene discrete heterojunction photovoltaic device 10.1063/1.2713345

The photoresponse of reversed bilayer organic photovoltaic device based on pentacene and C-60 is examined, and the mechanism of photocurrent generation is shown to be different to that in conventional heterojunction devices, with free charge carriers generated at the electrode-organic interfaces rather than the organic heterojunction. This hypothesis is tested with silver nanoclusters incorporated at the organic heterojunction to quench excitons and facilitate recombination of free charge carriers, which shows a predicted increase in J(sc). The large V-oc in this reversed cell structure is also rationalized in the context of the model proposed.</p