Interfacial charge transfer at the single molecule level: Insights for dye-sensitized solar cells

Oliver L.A. Monti, Laura K. Schirra, Michael L. Blumenfeld, Brandon S. Tackett, Jason M. Tyler

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

We present the first measurements of forward- (FET) and back-electron transfer (BET) dynamics at the single molecule level performed under highly controlled, well-characterized ultrahigh vacuum conditions. FET from an excited perylene bisimide sensitizer to the conduction band of a single crystalline acceptor (GaN or Al2O3) and BET to the dye ground state were monitored by single molecule fluorescence intermittency. In the case of GaN, the surface was covered with a heteroepitaxial insulating layer of Sc2O3 which serves as a tunable electron injection barrier between sensitizer and semiconductor. The Sc2O3 spacer layer allowed isolation of the sensitizer/semiconductor distance dependence on FET and BET. The observed charge transfer dynamics was correlated with surface structure characterized by AFM, UPS and XPS. Our results point to the origin of non-exponential charge transfer kinetics in dye-sensitized solar cells that persist even on single crystalline surfaces.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationAmerican Chemical Society - 237th National Meeting and Exposition, ACS 2009, Abstracts of Scientific Papers
StatePublished - 2009
Event237th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society, ACS 2009 - Salt Lake City, UT, United States
Duration: Mar 22 2009Mar 26 2009

Publication series

NameACS National Meeting Book of Abstracts
ISSN (Print)0065-7727

Other

Other237th National Meeting and Exposition of the American Chemical Society, ACS 2009
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CitySalt Lake City, UT
Period3/22/093/26/09

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Chemistry
  • General Chemical Engineering

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Interfacial charge transfer at the single molecule level: Insights for dye-sensitized solar cells'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this