Electron Conjugated Fullerene Derivatives

Electrochemical reaction usually consists of a blend of two materials an electron-donor TT-conjugated polymer (donor, D) and an electron-acceptor fullerene derivative (acceptor, A). Polymers with electrochemical properties have attracted considerable attention over past decades due to potential applications in various fields including low-cost, lightweight, and flexible electrode materials in photovoltaic devices, such as, solar cells and energy storage devices like supercapacitors (Ripolles-Sanchis et al., 2013 Gelinck et al, 2010 Snook etal, 2011). 

Film structures with domains that form elements with complementary functions of (a) solar cells, obtained using electron-donating polyfluorene copolymer APFO-3 and electron-accepting fullerene derivative PCBM and (b) of electronic circuitries using conjugated poly(3-alkylthiophene) P3AT and dielectric polystyrene PS. 

Recently, photovoltaic cells that use a narrow band conjugated polymer PDDTT 196 as the electron donor and fullerene derivative 197 as the electron acceptor were developed. These cells show a short circuit density (J c) of 0.83mAcm , an open current voltage (Fqc) of 0.35 V, a fill factor (FF) of 38.6% under AM.5 simulator (lOOmWcm ) and unprecedented photocurrent response wavelengths up to llOOnm <2006APY081106>. 

Topics that have formed the subjects of reviews this year include contemporary issues in electron transport research, dynamics of bimolecular photoelectron transfer reactions, photophysical properties of functionalised fullerene derivatives, carbon-carbon bond formation via radical ions, photoinduced electron transfer processes in ketone, aldehyde, and ester synthesis, photochemical reactions between arenenitriles and benzylic donors, photo-oxidation of conjugated dienes, photoredox reactions of aromatic nitro compounds, electron transfer-mediated photochemistry of some unsaturated nitrogen-containing compounds, reactions of 02( Ag), carbon dioxide activation by aza-macrocyclic complexes, and photochromism of chalcone derivatives. ... 

Among the most common unsaturated units, there are mono (poly) cyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, heterocycles, benzofused systems, and olefinic and acetylenic groups, typically paired with various fullerene derivatives. The extent of conjugation/interaction between these units determine the polymer solution/solid-state electronic structure, which in turn control polymer properties, such as, optical absorption/emission, redox... 

A significant research effort has been devoted to the design and application of various supramolecular self-assembled systems in photoelectrochemical solar cells. Fullerenes, fullerene derivatives, and carbon nanotubes are typically used as electron acceptor components of such systems. Porphyrins, phthalocyanines, ruthenium complexes, conjugated oligomers, and polymers are applied as electron donor counterparts. 

The mono-substituted fullerene (6,6)-phenyl C i-butyric add methyl ester (PCBM) has become a popular fullerene derivative for the combination of its solution processability, desirable electronic properties, and unique phase separation charaaeristics from polymer matrices to form nanoscale domains that facilitate charge transfer. Annealed thin films prepared by spin-casting mixtures of PCBM and conjugated polymers (such as P3HT or MEH-PPV), exploit the mobility of PCBM and crystallization forces of the polymer to yield the desired nanoscale crystallites. However, care in the processing steps must be exercised to achieve this desired interpenetrated network of fullerene and polymer prior to maaophase separation. ... 

---