Ultrafast Time-Resolved Spectroscopy of Photoinduced Electron Transfer in Novel Photovoltaic Devices

ORAL

Abstract

We present work toward an understanding of the fundamental photophysics of photoinduced electon transfer between 9-anthracenecarboxylic acid (9-AC) and TiO$_2$ nanoparticles in order to apply the techniques to a novel photovoltaic device. The active layers of a proposed device consist of a broad-spectrum, metallo-organic absorber\footnote{M.H.Chisholm, et al., Inorg.Chem.\textbf{47}, 3415 (2008).} covalently bound through a carboxylic acid to a nano-porous TiO$_2$ structure. To study the electron transfer, a model compound, 9-AC, is covalently bound to TiO$_2$ nanoparticles. Ultrafast electron transfer from the excited 9-AC to the TiO$_2$ is observed within 50 fs using ultrafast broadband spectroscopy. Further evidence of this transfer is shown from quenching of the fluorescence of the 9-AC with increasing concentrations of TiO$_2$ with no effects on the lifetime of the fluorescence.

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Authors

  • L.M. Mier

    Department of Chemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210-1185, Dept. of Chemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1185

  • A.R. Carter

    Department of Physics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210

  • T.L. Gustafson

    Department of Chemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210-1185

  • Arthur Epstein

    Ohio State University, Dept. of Physics, Dept. of Chemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, Dept. of Physics and Dept of Chemistry, The Ohio State University, The Ohio State University, Physics Department, Ohio State Unversity, Columbus, OH 43210-1117, Departments of Physics and Chemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210