Photoconductive organic-inorganic composite materials and their applications in optoelectronic devices

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Frank Würthner
• Subject Area: Organic Molecular Chemistry - Synthesis and Characterisation ; Synthesis and Properties of Functional Materials
• Term: from 2018 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 390252575

The main objective of this project is to overcome the low conductivity problem by developing photoconductive materials for the application as interlayers in optoelectronic devices, especially in polymer solar cells. Photoconductive materials proposed here are the composite of inorganic semiconductors like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide and organic photosensitizers, in particular perylene bisimide dyes, and the enhanced conductivity is based on the photo-induced electron transfer from organic dyes to the inorganic semiconductor. The energy level alignment between the inorganic semiconductor and organic dye molecule is essential for the photo-induced electron transfer between them. The interaction between the organic molecule and the inorganic semiconductor must suppress intermolecular interactions between molecules of one type to avoid the possible phase separation, and thus obtain a molecularly dispersed doping system. Thus, the molecular design for the energy level alignment and also for the proper interactions is the essential step. The optimization of the doping concentration of the composite materials and the device engineering will be then pursued in this proposal. Accordingly, the materials synthesis and device fabrication comprise the major two objectives of this project that will be explored in two research groups in Germany and China, respectively.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: China
• Partner Organisation: National Natural Science Foundation of China
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Dr. Zengqi Xie