It is common knowledge that poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT)/[6,6]-phenyl-C61-butyric acid methyl ester (PCBM) blend, a prototype system for bulk heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells, consists of a network of tens of nanometers-large donor-rich and acceptor-rich phases separated by extended finely intermixed border regions where PCBM diffuse into P3HT. Here we specifically address the photo-induced dynamics in a 10 nm thin P3HT/PCBM blend that consists of the intermixed region only. Using the multi-pass transient absorption technique (TrAMP) that enables us to perform ultra high sensitive measurements, we find that the primary process upon photoexcitation is ultrafast energy transfer from P3HT to PCBM. The expected charge separation due to hole transfer from PCBM to P3HT occurs in the 100 ps timescale. The derived picture is much different from the accepted view of ultra-fast electron transfer at the polymer/PCBM interface and provides new directions for the development of efficient devices.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3691563PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/srep02073DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

ultrafast energy
8
energy transfer
8
transfer
4
transfer ultrathin
4
ultrathin organic
4
organic donor/acceptor
4
donor/acceptor blend
4
blend common
4
common knowledge
4
knowledge poly3-hexylthiophene
4

Similar Publications

Light-driven molecular rotary motors are nanometric machines able to convert light into unidirectional motions. Several types of molecular motors have been developed to better respond to light stimuli, opening new avenues for developing smart materials ranging from nanomedicine to robotics. They have great importance in the scientific research across various disciplines, but a detailed comprehension of the underlying ultrafast photophysics immediately after photo-excitation, that is, Franck-Condon region characterization, is not fully achieved yet.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In this study, we report, for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, on in-volume glass modifications produced by GHz bursts of femtosecond pulses. We compare three distinct methods of energy deposition in glass, i.e.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Transition metal oxides, like MnO, show great promise as anodes for flexible electrodes but face challenges such as low conductivity and poor cycling performance.
  • A new method called "spontaneous complexation and exfoliation" creates flexible thin-film electrodes using MnO nanocrystals and reduced graphene oxide (rGO), improving their mechanical flexibility and lithium-ion storage capacity.
  • The resulting flexible anodes deliver around 1220 mAh/g over 1000 cycles with high-rate capacity, while maintaining performance even under bending, highlighting their potential for advanced energy storage solutions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Moisture-driven carbonation kinetics for ultrafast CO mineralization.

Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A

January 2025

Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong 999077, China.

CO mineralization, a process where CO reacts with minerals to form stable carbonates, presents a sustainable approach for CO sequestration and mitigation of global warming. While the crucial role of water in regulating CO mineralization efficiency is widely acknowledged, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying mechanisms remains elusive. This study employs a combined experimental and atomistic simulation approach to elucidate the intricate mechanisms governing moisture-driven carbonation kinetics of calcium-bearing minerals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Heterojunctions, known for their decent separation of photo-generated electrons and holes, are promising for photocatalytic CO reduction. However, a significant obstacle in traditional post-assembled heterojunctions is the high interfacial barrier for charge transfer caused by atomic lattice mismatch at multiphase interfaces. Here, as research prototypes, the study creates a lattice-matched co-atomic interface within CsPbBr-CsPbBr polytypic nanocrystals (113-125 PNs) through the proposed in situ hybrid strategy to elucidate the underlying charge transfer mechanism within this unique interface.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!