Vibrational coherence probes the mechanism of ultrafast electron transfer in polymer-fullerene blends

dc.contributor.authorSong, Y.
dc.contributor.authorClafton, S.
dc.contributor.authorPensack, R.
dc.contributor.authorKee, T.
dc.contributor.authorScholes, G.
dc.date.issued2014
dc.description.abstractThe conversion of photoexcitations into charge carriers in organic solar cells is facilitated by the dissociation of excitons at the donor/acceptor interface. The ultrafast timescale of charge separation demands sophisticated theoretical models and raises questions about the role of coherence in the charge-transfer mechanism. Here, we apply two-dimensional electronic spectroscopy to study the electron transfer process in poly(3-hexylthiophene)/PCBM (P3HT/PCBM) blends. We report dynamics maps showing the pathways of charge transfer that clearly expose the significance of hot electron transfer. During this ultrafast electron transfer, vibrational coherence is directly transferred from the P3HT exciton to the P3HT hole polaron in the crystalline domain. This result reveals that the exciton converts to a hole with a similar spatial extent on a timescale far exceeding other photophysical dynamics including vibrational relaxation.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityYin Song, Scott N. Clafton, Ryan D. Pensack, Tak W. Kee, Gregory D. Scholes
dc.identifier.citationNature Communications, 2014; 5(1):4933-1-4933-7
dc.identifier.doi10.1038/ncomms5933
dc.identifier.issn2041-1723
dc.identifier.issn2041-1723
dc.identifier.orcidKee, T. [0000-0002-4907-4663]
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/94219
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherNature
dc.rights© 2014 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms5933
dc.subjectPhysical sciences; physical chemistry
dc.titleVibrational coherence probes the mechanism of ultrafast electron transfer in polymer-fullerene blends
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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