Photochemical half-cells using mixture films of fullerene-ethylenediamine adduct microparticles and polythiophene

In this study, C60 fullerene–ethylenediamine adduct microparticles were prepared. Mixture films of these microparticles and polythiophene were fabricated on indium–tin-oxide transparent electrodes by spin-coating. Incorporation of C60–ethylenediamine microparticles was verified by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements. The coverage values of these microparticles were approximately 3–17%, which were calculated from SEM images of modified electrodes. Fluorescence spectra of modified electrodes indicated that the emission intensity of polythiophene in these mixture films was apparently quenched by these C60–ethylenediamine microparticles as compared with a polythiophene film without these microparticles. In the presence of methylviologen, these modified electrodes generated stable photocurrent. The photoexciting species was polythiophene, which was verified by profiles of photocurrent action spectra. The C60–ethylenediamine microparticles substantially enhanced the photocurrent signals generated by the polythiophene-modified electrode.