Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Photoexcitation dynamics in an alternating polyfluorene copolymer

Westerling, M. ; Aarnio, H. ; Osterbacka, R. ; Stubb, H. ; King, S. M. ; Monkman, A. P. ; Andersson, M. R. ; Jespersen, Kim LU ; Kesti, Tero LU and Yartsev, Arkady LU orcid , et al. (2007) In Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics) 75(22).
Abstract
We have used transient photoinduced absorption on femtosecond to nanosecond time scales as well as delayed fluorescence up to microseconds to study the photogeneration and recombination of charges in thin films of the alternating polyfluorene copolymer poly[2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)-alt-5,5-(4('),7(')-di-2-thienyl-2('),1(') ,3(')-benzothiadiazole)]. We interpret the results using a coupled rate equation model and find that we can fit all our experimental results with a single set of parameters. The model includes prompt (< 0.1 ps) as well as slower (similar to 0.1-1 ns) charge-pair formation, which we attribute to Coulombically bound intra- and interchain polaron pairs, respectively. The intrachain polaron pairs are promptly generated... (More)
We have used transient photoinduced absorption on femtosecond to nanosecond time scales as well as delayed fluorescence up to microseconds to study the photogeneration and recombination of charges in thin films of the alternating polyfluorene copolymer poly[2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)-alt-5,5-(4('),7(')-di-2-thienyl-2('),1(') ,3(')-benzothiadiazole)]. We interpret the results using a coupled rate equation model and find that we can fit all our experimental results with a single set of parameters. The model includes prompt (< 0.1 ps) as well as slower (similar to 0.1-1 ns) charge-pair formation, which we attribute to Coulombically bound intra- and interchain polaron pairs, respectively. The intrachain polaron pairs are promptly generated from vibronically excited (hot) primary singlet excitons S-1(*) and recombine geminately back to the lowest singlet exciton state S-1 with a lifetime distribution having a mean lifetime of similar to 2.4 ps. The interchain polaron pairs, which can be seen as precursors to free charges, are formed via two channels: via singlet excitons being dissociated with a linear rate constant of similar to 5 ns as well as via a time-dependent bimolecular exciton-exciton annihilation process generating higher-energy exciton states S-n(*) of which a fraction subsequently dissociates into interchain polaron pairs. We observe a total yield of 12%-23% interchain polaron pairs (a precursor to free polarons), depending on the excitation intensity used. This also defines the upper limit of the free polaron yield at zero electric field in this material. The long-lived interchain polaron pairs recombine geminately back to the ground state or to singlet excitons with a broad distribution of lifetimes having a mean lifetime of similar to 0.27 mu s. The fraction of interchain polaron pairs recombining back to singlet excitons, with subsequent radiative decay back to the ground state, gives rise to delayed fluorescence extending to microsecond time scales. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and , et al. (More)
; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; and (Less)
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics)
volume
75
issue
22
publisher
American Physical Society
external identifiers
  • wos:000247624800047
  • scopus:34347397558
ISSN
1098-0121
DOI
10.1103/PhysRevB.75.224306
language
English
LU publication?
yes
additional info
The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Chemical Physics (S) (011001060)
id
06fabbae-2e85-46d0-9b8f-9df3e8438385 (old id 646196)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 15:37:44
date last changed
2022-01-28 06:16:35
@article{06fabbae-2e85-46d0-9b8f-9df3e8438385,
  abstract     = {{We have used transient photoinduced absorption on femtosecond to nanosecond time scales as well as delayed fluorescence up to microseconds to study the photogeneration and recombination of charges in thin films of the alternating polyfluorene copolymer poly[2,7-(9,9-dioctylfluorene)-alt-5,5-(4('),7(')-di-2-thienyl-2('),1(') ,3(')-benzothiadiazole)]. We interpret the results using a coupled rate equation model and find that we can fit all our experimental results with a single set of parameters. The model includes prompt (&lt; 0.1 ps) as well as slower (similar to 0.1-1 ns) charge-pair formation, which we attribute to Coulombically bound intra- and interchain polaron pairs, respectively. The intrachain polaron pairs are promptly generated from vibronically excited (hot) primary singlet excitons S-1(*) and recombine geminately back to the lowest singlet exciton state S-1 with a lifetime distribution having a mean lifetime of similar to 2.4 ps. The interchain polaron pairs, which can be seen as precursors to free charges, are formed via two channels: via singlet excitons being dissociated with a linear rate constant of similar to 5 ns as well as via a time-dependent bimolecular exciton-exciton annihilation process generating higher-energy exciton states S-n(*) of which a fraction subsequently dissociates into interchain polaron pairs. We observe a total yield of 12%-23% interchain polaron pairs (a precursor to free polarons), depending on the excitation intensity used. This also defines the upper limit of the free polaron yield at zero electric field in this material. The long-lived interchain polaron pairs recombine geminately back to the ground state or to singlet excitons with a broad distribution of lifetimes having a mean lifetime of similar to 0.27 mu s. The fraction of interchain polaron pairs recombining back to singlet excitons, with subsequent radiative decay back to the ground state, gives rise to delayed fluorescence extending to microsecond time scales.}},
  author       = {{Westerling, M. and Aarnio, H. and Osterbacka, R. and Stubb, H. and King, S. M. and Monkman, A. P. and Andersson, M. R. and Jespersen, Kim and Kesti, Tero and Yartsev, Arkady and Sundström, Villy}},
  issn         = {{1098-0121}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{22}},
  publisher    = {{American Physical Society}},
  series       = {{Physical Review B (Condensed Matter and Materials Physics)}},
  title        = {{Photoexcitation dynamics in an alternating polyfluorene copolymer}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.75.224306}},
  doi          = {{10.1103/PhysRevB.75.224306}},
  volume       = {{75}},
  year         = {{2007}},
}