Fullerene-doped conducting polymers: effects of enhanced photoconductivity and quenched photoluminescence

It is found that fullerenes (C60, C70), due to their strong electron accepting abilities can be hole generators in conducting polymers sensitizing photoinduced charge transfer. Here we report that photoconductivity of poly(2,5-dialkoxy-p-phenylene-vinylene) OO-PPV is found to be remarkably enhanced by several orders of magnitude upon introduction of several mol % of C60. Positive polarons (P+) photogenerated with increased efficiency due to autoionization of excitons and/or photopumping from fullerene are considered to be responsible for enhanced photoconductivity. Photoluminescence of polymer is strongly quenched upon C60 doping due to dissociation of excitons accompanied by electron transfer to fullerene. (orig.)