Effect of distance between acceptor and donor on optical properties of composite semiconducting polymer films

The excitation energy transfer from poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) to tris(8-hydroxyquinoline) aluminum (Alq3) in composite films was investigated by adding an inert polymer, poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA). The energy transfer efficiency calculated from the photoluminescence (PL) excitation spectra is consistent with that from the time-resolved PL decay data of the composite films. We have found a linear relationship between the two kinds of the distances, which are calculated according to volume density and the Förster theory. Experimental results and analyses provide a facile method to infer the energy transfer efficiency and the distance between the donor and the acceptor molecules in the composite films.