4 research outputs found
Direct Spectroscopic Evidence of Ultrafast Electron Transfer from a Low Band Gap Polymer to CdSe Quantum Dots in Hybrid Photovoltaic Thin Films
Ultrafast
transient absorption spectroscopy is used to study charge
transfer dynamics in hybrid films composed of the low band gap polymer
PCPDTBT and CdSe quantum dots capped with <i>tert</i>-butylthiol
ligands. By selectively exciting the polymer, a spectral signature
for electrons on the quantum dots appears on ultrafast time scales
(≲ 65 fs), which indicates ultrafast electron transfer. From
this time scale, the coupling between the polymer chains and the quantum
dots is estimated to be <i>J</i> ≳ 17 meV. The reduced
quantum dot acceptors exhibit an unambiguous spectral bleach signature,
whose amplitude allows for the first direct calculation of the absolute
electron transfer yield in a hybrid solar cell (82 ± 5%). We
also show that a limitation of the hybrid system is rapid and measurable
geminate recombination due to the small separation of the initial
charge pair. The fast recombination is consistent with the internal
quantum efficiency of the corresponding solar cell. We therefore have
identified and quantified a main loss mechanism in this type of third
generation solar cell
Chalcogenol Ligand Toolbox for CdSe Nanocrystals and Their Influence on Exciton Relaxation Pathways
We have employed a simple modular approach to install small chalcogenol ligands on the surface of CdSe nanocrystals. This versatile modification strategy provides access to thiol, selenol, and tellurol ligand sets <i>via</i> the <i>in situ</i> reduction of R<sub>2</sub>E<sub>2</sub> (R = <sup><i>t</i></sup>Bu, Bn, Ph; E = S, Se, Te) by diphenylphosphine (Ph<sub>2</sub>PH). The ligand exchange chemistry was analyzed by solution NMR spectroscopy, which reveals that reduction of the R<sub>2</sub>E<sub>2</sub> precursors by Ph<sub>2</sub>PH directly yields active chalcogenol ligands that subsequently bind to the surface of the CdSe nanocrystals. Thermogravimetric analysis, FT-IR spectroscopy, and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy provide further evidence for chalcogenol addition to the CdSe surface with a concomitant reduction in overall organic content from the displacement of native ligands. Time-resolved and low temperature photoluminescence measurements showed that all of the phenylchalcogenol ligands rapidly quench the photoluminescence by hole localization onto the ligand. Selenol and tellurol ligands exhibit a larger driving force for hole transfer than thiol ligands and therefore quench the photoluminescence more efficiently. The hole transfer process could lead to engineering long-lived, partially separated excited states
Quantifying Charge Recombination in Solar Cells Based on Donor–Acceptor P3HT Analogues
The
creation of semi-random donor–acceptor analogues of polyÂ(3-hexylthiophene)
(P3HT) yields polymers that exhibit pan-chromatic absorption spectra
extending into the near-infrared. Despite this extended absorption
however, different semi-random polymers exhibit markedly different
photovoltaic performance when blended as a bulk-heterojunction with
[6,6]-phenyl-C<sub>61</sub>-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM). To understand
the physical origin of these differences, we performed transient absorption
(TA) measurements and device characterization of blends of two representative
semi-random polymers, polyÂ(3-hexylthiophene-thiophene-thienopyrazine)
(P3HTT-TP-10%) and polyÂ(3-hexylthiophene-thiophene-diketopyrrolopyrrole)
(P3HTT-DPP-10%), with PCBM. Although both polymers absorb strongly
throughout the visible and near-infrared, devices based on P3HTT-DPP-10%:PCBM
exhibit a power conversion efficiency of ∼6%, while films consisting
of P3HTT-TP-10%:PCBM blends display values under 1%. TA experiments
reveal that polarons generated upon excitation of a P3HTT-TP-10%:PCBM
blend undergo a high degree of geminate recombination (survival percentage,
ϕ<sub>S</sub> ∼45%) independent of excitation wavelength,
explaining its lower efficiency. In contrast, P3HTT-DPP-10%:PCBM blends
show excitation wavelength-dependent polaron recombination dynamics.
While excitation of the polymer in the visible region leads to less
geminate recombination (ϕ<sub>S</sub> ∼65%) compared
to P3HTT-TP-10%:PCBM, this loss process is ∼1.5 times more
deleterious following near-infrared (NIR) excitation. Despite this
observation, a significant fraction (ϕ<sub>S</sub> ∼
45%) of the charges formed following NIR excitation escape recombination,
partly explaining the high performance of P3HTT-DPP-10%:PCBM devices
Controlling the Trap State Landscape of Colloidal CdSe Nanocrystals with Cadmium Halide Ligands
We
developed a simple and robust colloidal route for the installation
of CdX<sub>2</sub> (X = Cl, Br, I) ligands on the surface of CdSe
nanocrystals, which effectively displace the native ligands and form
stable suspensions. After colloidal ligand exchange, these nanocrystals
can be easily solution cast into nanocrystal films. Photoelectrochemical
measurements on solution-cast nanocrystal films reveal a striking
influence of surface cadmium halide on photocurrent response, with
mildly annealed, CdCl<sub>2</sub>-treated CdSe nanocrystals showing
the greatest enhancement in photocurrent to above band gap illumination.
The strong dependence of photoresponse on surface halide is thought
to result from ligand-induced changes in the electronic structure
of the nanocrystal samples. We arrive at this conclusion using a combination
of ultrafast transient absorption, time-resolved photoluminescence,
and surface photovoltage spectroscopies, which are being applied together
for the first time to investigate nanocrystal trap states. From these
measurements, we establish a trend for ligand-related sub-band gap
states that accounts for electron and hole trapping at the nanocrystal
surface. The nature of the electron and hole traps in the nanocrystal
films are dependent on the thermal history of the sample as well as
the specific halide surface treatment employed. After subjecting the
nanocrystal films to mild thermal annealing, we find evidence that
suggests a drastic reduction in electron trap states. Additionally,
depending on the surface halide treatment employed, the energy of
the hole trap states varies, with CdCl<sub>2</sub> treatment resulting
in energetically shallow hole trap states, and CdBr<sub>2</sub> and
CdI<sub>2</sub> treatments leading to much deeper hole traps. Thus,
judicious choice of cadmium halide surface treatment can be used to
manipulate the trap state landscape of these ligand exchanged CdSe
nanocrystals