Donor–acceptor complex formation in evaporated small molecular organic photovoltaic cells

Novel perylene diimide Py-PDI and naphthalene diimide Py-NDI possessing chelating pyridyl groups have been synthesized. The materials are comparatively investigated as electron acceptors in small molecular photovoltaic cells comprising zinc phthalocyanine ZnPc as an electron donor component. It was shown that these compounds form self-assembled coordination complexes with ZnPc in solution and co-evaporated solid blends. Py-PDI and Py-NDI used as electron acceptor materials in photovoltaic cells with donor ZnPc significantly outperform the reference materials, i.e. perylene and naphthalene diimides that possess no chelating pyridyl groups. Superior photovoltaic performance of Py-PDI and Py-NDI is explained by a complex formation between these compounds and ZnPc. Such interactions of donor and acceptor materials strongly improve photoinduced charge carrier generation. This gives great advantages not just for the construction of organic solar cells but also for organic photodetectors. The devices fabricated in this study are also useful as fast and highly sensitive photodetectors with response times of less than 10 microseconds as well as a strong photoconductive behavior under forward bias.