Molecular orientations, electronic properties and charge transfer timescale in a Zn-porphyrin/C-70 donor-acceptor complex for solar cells

Here we demonstrate that a molecular dye film composed by a single layer Of C-70 and a single layer of Zn-tetraphenyl-porphyrin (ZnTPP) adsorbed atop can be grown on large substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. The electrostatic interactions between the constituent molecules drive the formation of this ordered donor-acceptor layer. The overlapping between the pi* orbitals of ZnTPP and C-70 allows the delocalisation of the excited electrons from the excited molecule on a timescale of similar to 6 fs. Generally, the ZnTPP/C-70 film, acting as a p-n junction, delocalise more efficiently the excited electrons as compared to pure ZnTPP films on a timescale that competes effectively against loss processes, suggesting its application for a more efficient solar energy conversion in organic-based devices.