A fulleropyrrolidine end-capped platinum-acetylide triad: the mechanism of photoinduced charge transfer in organometallic photovoltaic cells

The fullerene end-capped platinum acetylide donor–acceptor triad Pt2ThC60 was synthesized and characterized by using photophysical methods and photovoltaic device testing. The triad consists of the platinum acetylide oligomer Ph––Pt(PBu3)2––Th––Pt(PBu3)2––Ph (Ph = phenyl and Th = 2,5-thienyl, stereochemistry at both Pt centers is trans) that contains fulleropyrrolidine moieties on each of the terminal phenylene units. Electrochemistry of the triad reveals relatively low potential oxidation and reduction waves corresponding, respectively, to oxidation of the platinum acetylide and reduction of the fulleropyrrolidine units. Photoluminescence spectroscopy shows that the singlet and triplet states of the platinum acetylide chromophore are strongly quenched in the triad assembly, both in solution at ambient temperature as well as in a low-temperature solvent glass. The excited state quenching arises due to intramolecular photoinduced electron transfer to produce a charge separated state based on charge transfer from the platinum acetylide (donor) to the fulleropyrrolidine (acceptor). Picosecond time resolved absorption spectroscopy confirms that the charge transfer state is produced within 1 ps of photoexcitation, and it decays by charge recombination within 400 ps. Organic photovoltaic devices fabricated using spin-coated films of Pt2ThC60 as the active material operate with modest efficiency, exhibiting a short circuit photocurrent of 0.51 mA cm−2 and an open circuit voltage of 0.41 V under 100 mW cm−2/AM1.5 illumination. The results are discussed in terms of the relationship between the mechanism of photoinduced electron transfer in the triad and the comparatively efficient photovoltaic response exhibited by the material.