Taku Hasobe

Organic solar cells. Supramolecular composites of porphyrins and fullerenes organized by polypeptide structures as light harvesters

We have constructed supramolecular solar cells composed of a series of porphyrin–peptide oligomers [porphyrin functionalized α-polypeptides, P(H2P)n or P(ZnP)n (n = 1, 2, 4, 8, 16)], and fullerenes assembled on a nanostructured SnO2 electrode using an electrophoretic deposition method. Remarkable enhancement in the photoelectrochemical performance as well as the broader photoresponse in the visible and near-infrared regions is seen with increasing the number of porphyrin units in α-polypeptide structures. Formation of supramolecular clusters of porphyrins and fullerenes prepared in acetonitrile–toluene = 3 : 1 has been confirmed by transmission electron micrographs (TEM) and the absorption spectra. The highly colored composite clusters of porphyrin–peptide oligomers and fullerenes have been assembled as three-dimensional arrays onto nanostructured SnO2 films using an electrophoretic deposition method. A high power conversion efficiency (η) of ∼1.6% and the maximum incident photon-to-photocurrent efficiency (IPCE = 56%) were attained using composite clusters of free base and zinc porphyrin–peptide hexadecamers [P(H2P)16 and P(ZnP)16] with fullerenes, respectively. Femtosecond transient absorption and fluorescence measurements of porphyrin–fullerene composite films confirm improved electron-transfer properties with increasing number of porphyrins in a polypeptide unit. The formation of molecular assemblies between porphyrins and fullerenes with a polypeptide structure controls the electron-transfer efficiency in the supramolecular complexes, meeting the criteria required for efficient light energy conversion.

Sensitive efficiency of photoinduced electron transfer to band gaps of semiconductive single-walled carbon nanotubes with supramolecularly attached zinc porphyrin bearing pyrene glues.

Photoinduced electron transfer in self-assembled single-walled carbon nanotube (SWNT)/zinc porphyrin (ZnP) hybrids utilizing (7,6)- and (6,5)-enriched SWNTs has been investigated. Toward this, first, zinc porphyrin was covalently functionalized to possess four pyrene entities (ZnP(pyr)(4)). Exfoliation of the semiconducting nanotube bundles occurred due to pi-pi-type interactions with the pyrene and porphyrin entities in organic solvents. The nanohybrids thus formed were isolated and characterized by TEM, UV-visible-near-IR, and Raman spectroscopy. Free-energy calculations suggested the possibility of electron transfer in both the (7,6)- and (6,5)-possessing ZnP(pyr)(4)/SWNT nanohybrids. Accordingly, fluorescence studies revealed efficient quenching of the singlet excited state of ZnP in the nanohybrids, originating from the charge separation, as confirmed by observation of a ZnP pi-cation radical in transient absorption spectra. The rates of charge separation were found to be slightly higher for (7,6)-SWNT-derived hybrids compared to the (6,5)-SWNT-derived hybrids. Charge recombination revealed an opposite effect, indicating that the (7,6)-SWNTs are slightly better for charge stabilization compared to the (6,5)-SWNTs. The present nanohybrids were further utilized to photochemically reduce the hexyl viologen dication in the presence of a sacrificial electron donor in an electron-pooling experiment, offering additional proof for the occurrence of photoinduced charge separation and potential utilization of these materials in light-energy-harvesting applications. Finally, solar cells constructed using the ZnP/SWNT hybrids revealed higher efficiency for the ZnP(pyr)(4)/(7,6)-SWNT hybrid with narrower nanotube band gap compared with the ZnP(pyr)(4)/(6,5)-SWNT having a relatively wider band gap.

Porphyrin-Based Supramolecular Nanoarchitectures for Solar Energy Conversion.

Photofunctional molecular architectures with well-defined shapes and sizes are of great interest because of various applications such as photovoltaics, photocatalysis, and electronics. Porphyrins are promising building blocks for organized nanoscale superstructures, which perform many of the essential light-harvesting and photoinduced electron/energy transfer reaction. In this Perspective, we present the recent advances in supramolecular architectures of porphyrins for solar energy conversion. First, we state preparation and light energy conversion properties of porphyrin (donor: D) and fullerene (acceptor: A)-based composite spherical nanoassemblies. The interfacial control of D/A molecules based on our supramolecular strategy successfully demonstrates the drastic enhancement of light energy conversion properties as compared to the corresponding nonorganized systems. Then, bar-shaped structures composed of two different D and A molecules with separated inside and outside layers are discussed. This unusual rod formation shows a possibility for a novel zeolite-like photoreaction cavity with efficient visible light absorption. Finally, photophysical and phoelectrochemical properties of supramolecular composites between porphyrins and carbon naotubes/graphenes are briefly described.

Fullerene-encapsulated porphyrin hexagonal nanorods. An anisotropic donor–acceptor composite for efficient photoinduced electron transfer and light energy conversion

We have successfully constructed fullerene-encapsulated porphyrin hexagonal nanorods in DMF-acetonitrile solution mixed with CTAB surfactant, which demonstrate efficient and characteristic photoinduced electron transfer and light energy conversion properties.

Supramolecular Structures and Photoelectronic Properties of the Inclusion Complex of a Cyclic Free‐Base Porphyrin Dimer and C60

A cyclic free-base porphyrin dimer H4-CPD(Py) (CPD = cyclic porphyrin dimer) linked by butadiyne moieties bearing 4-pyridyl groups self-assembles to form a novel porphyrin nanotube in the crystalline state. The cyclic molecules link together through nonclassical C-H⋅⋅⋅N hydrogen bonds and π–π interactions of the pyridyl groups along the crystallographic a axis. H4-CPD(Py) includes a C60 molecule in its cavity in solution. In the crystal structure of the inclusion complex (C60⊂H4-CPD(Py)), the dimer “bites” a C60 molecule by tilting the porphyrin rings with respect to each other, and there are strong π–π interactions between the porphyrin rings and C60. The included C60 molecules form a zigzag chain along the crystallographic b axis through van der Waals contacts with each other. Femtosecond laser flash photolysis of C60⊂H4-CPD(Py) in the solid state with photoexcitation at 420 nm shows the formation of a completely charge-separated state {H4-CPD(Py)·+ + C60·−}, which decays with a lifetime of 470 ps to the ground state. The charge-carrier mobility of the single crystal of C60⊂H4-CPD(Py) was determined by flash photolysis time-resolved microwave conductivity (FP-TRMC) measurements. C60⊂H4-CPD(Py) has an anisotropic charge mobility (Σμ = 0.16 and 0.13 cm2 V(−1)  s(−1)) along the zigzag chain of C60 (which runs at 45° and parallel to the crystallographic b axis). To construct a photoelectrochemical cell, C60⊂H4-CPD(Py) was deposited onto nanostructured SnO2 films on a transparent electrode. The solar cell exhibited photovoltaic activity with an incident photon to current conversion efficiency of 17%.

Control of open-circuit voltage in organic photovoltaic cells by inserting an ultrathin metal-phthalocyanine layer

The authors develop organic photovoltaic cells with multicharge separation (MCS) interfaces by inserting a very thin layer of metal phthalocyanine. The devices with MCS interface allow one to control short-circuit current density (Jsc) and open-circuit voltage (Voc). The power conversion efficiency (ηp) of the device with MCS interface (Cu-phthalocyanine/C60andpentacene∕C60) is enhanced compared with that of the device with single charge separation interface (pentacene/C60). The enhancement of ηp is attributable to the increase in Voc with maintaining the Jsc. By using Zn-phthalocyanine, which possesses longer excited lifetime compared with Cu-phthalocyanine, both Jsc and Voc have been improved simultaneously and the ηp reaches 2.04%.

Photoinduced Charge Separation in a Ferrocene−Aluminum(III) Porphyrin−Fullerene Supramolecular Triad†

Light-induced electron transfer is investigated in a ferrocene-aluminum(III) porphyrin-fullerene supramolecular triad (FcAlPorC(60)) and the constituent dyads (AlPorC(60) and FcAlPorPh). The fullerene unit (C(60)) is bound axially to the aluminum(III) porphyrin (AlPor) via a benzoate spacer, and ferrocene (Fc) is attached via an amide linkage to one of the four phenyl groups in the meso positions of the porphyrin ring. The absorption spectra and voltammetry data of the complexes suggest that the ground state electronic structures of the Fc, AlPor, and C(60) entities are not significantly perturbed in the dyads and triad. Time-resolved optical and transient electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) data show that photoexcitation of the AlPorC(60) dyad results in efficient electron transfer from the excited singlet state of the porphyrin to fullerene, producing the charge-separated state AlPor(•+)-C(60)(•-). The fluorescence and transient EPR data also suggest that some energy transfer from the porphyrin to fullerene may occur. The lifetime of the radical pair AlPor(•+)-C(60)(•-) measured by transient absorbance spectroscopy is found to be 39 ns in o-dichlorobenzene at room temperature. At 200 K, transient EPR experiments place a lower limit of 5 μs on the radical pair lifetime. In the triad, the data suggest that excitation of the porphyrin gives rise to the charge-separated state Fc(•+)-AlPor-C(60)(•-) in two electron transfer steps. Photocurrent measurements demonstrate that both dyads and the triad have good photovoltaic performance. However, when Fc is appended to AlPorC(60), the expected improvement of the radical pair lifetime and the photovoltaic characteristics is not observed.

Photo- and electro-functional self-assembled architectures of porphyrins

Recent developments in supramolecular strategies have enabled us to construct novel well-defined assemblies of dye molecules. These fundamental researches of such organic materials also entail the synthetic and photophysical processes of molecular aggregates at the nano- and micro-meter scale, since their optical properties significantly differ from those of monomeric species. One of the promising candidates for such functional molecules is a porphyrin dye, which acts as an electron donor as well as a sensitizer. In this perspective, the focus is on the recent advances in the construction of optically and electronically functionalized molecular architectures of porphyrins for light energy conversion and electronics. First, porphyrin aggregates with morphologies such as cube, rod and fiber, which are prepared by three different supramolecular techniques, are reported. Then, we discuss composite molecular nanoarchitectures of porphyrins and carbon nanotubes such as single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs), stacked-cup carbon nanotubes (SCCNTs) and carbon nanohorns (CNHs). Finally, the structural and photophysical properties of the composite assemblies of porphyrins and graphenes including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are presented.

Diameter‐Sorted SWCNT–Porphyrin and SWCNT–Phthalocyanine Conjugates for Light‐Energy Harvesting

A non-covalent double-decker binding strategy is employed to construct functional supramolecular single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNT)-tetrapyrrole hybrids capable of undergoing photoinduced electron transfer and performing direct conversion of light into electricity. To accomplish this, two semiconducting SWCNTs of different diameters (6,5 and 7,6) were modified via π-π stacking of pyrene functionalized with an alkyl ammonium cation (PyrNH(3)(+)). Such modified nanotubes were subsequently assembled via dipole-cation binding of zinc porphyrin with one (1) or four benzo-18-crown-6 cavities (2) or phthalocyanine with four benzo-18-crown-6 cavities at the ring periphery (3), employed as visible-light photosensitizers. Upon charactering the conjugates using TEM and optical techniques, electron transfer via photoexcited zinc porphyrin and phthalocyanine was investigated using time-resolved emission and transient absorption techniques. Higher charge-separation efficiency is established for SWCNT(7,6) with a narrow band gap than the thin SWCNT(6,5) with a wide band gap. Photoelectrochemical studies using FTO/SnO(2) electrodes modified with these donor-acceptor conjugates unanimously demonstrated the ability of these conjugates to convert light energy into electricity. The photocurrent generation followed the trend observed for charge separation, that is, incident-photon-to-current efficiency (IPCE) of a maximum of 12 % is achieved for photocells with FTO/SnO(2)/SWCNT(7,6)/PyrNH(3)(+):1.

Photochemical charge separation in supramolecular phthalocyanine-multifullerene conjugates assembled by crown ether-alkyl ammonium cation interactions.

Self-assembled phthalocyanine-multifullerene donor-acceptor conjugates have been formed by crown ether-ammonium cation dipole-ion binding strategy to probe the photochemical charge separation. To achieve this, phthalocyanine is functionalized to possess four 18-crown-6 moieties on the macrocycle periphery, whereas fullerene is functionalized to possess an alkyl ammonium cation of short and long chain lengths. Stable donor-acceptor conjugates accommodating multifullerene entities have been obtained by the crown ether-ammonium cation inclusion complexation. From the efficient fluorescence quenching of the zinc phthalocyanine by the bound fullerene entities, the rate constants of charge separation are evaluated to be slightly larger for closely held via shorter alkyl chain length fullerene, which are also larger compared to the earlier reported analogous zinc porphyrin-multifullerene conjugate. Nanosecond transient absorption studies yielded spectral signatures corresponding to both the phthalocyanine radical cation and fullerene radical anion at the same time, providing evidence of light-induced electron transfer within the conjugates. The evaluated lifetimes of the radical ion pairs in the present phthalocyanine-fullerene conjugates are found to be hundreds of nanoseconds and are much longer compared to the earlier reported conjugate of zinc porphyrin analogue, revealing higher possible usage of the generated radical ion pairs.