3.1 Introduction
One of the most important phenomena in the life of living organisms is the process
of electron/energy transfer in photosynthetic systems that convert solar energy into
chemical energy, as well as in photovoltaic devices that convert solar energy into
electricity [1]. In many technological activities, man mimics nature and acquired
knowledge allows him to follow the mechanisms and processes occurring in the
electron-donor-acceptor systems that are also extremely important in the molecular
photovoltaics which is sometime called “artificial photosynthesis.”
The turn of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century is
a period of extremely rapid development of material engineering, especially in
nanotechnology. The reason for such a development of those sciences from the
borderline of physics, chemistry, and electronics is the search for new materials
with desirable properties and at the same time being highly efficient, cheap, and
environmentally friendly. On the other hand, in the face of the depletion of fossil
energy carriers, and above all because of the caused by them atmospheric pollution,
there is an urgent need to find alternative energy sources cooperating with new
organic materials.
Among the many more or less economically justified and socially acceptable
energy sources, the dominant role is played by the conversion of solar energy into
electricity using so-called solar batteries. This term is usually understood as photovoltaic devices capable of converting light energy emitted by the sun into electrical energy. Such devices are already working in countries with high insolation
but, unfortunately, they are not cheap converters and their efficiency is not satisfactory from an economic point of view. The consequence of low efficiency is the
huge sizes of solar batteries, which practically eliminates them from more densely
populated areas. That is why there is a constant struggle to find highly efficient,
cheap, and environmentally friendly converters of solar energy into electricity.
This review deals with the most important aspects of the experimental considerations supported by quantum-mechanical calculations for some selected organic
and inorganic materials. Such a choice is justified by the huge variety of known
organic dyes and systems as well by the easiness of their modification, so they are
even more efficient, more durable, cheaper and they can be easily disposed. In the
chapter, the authors intend to put a special emphasis on characterization of
porphyrin-like dyes and their mixtures with quantum dots (phthalocyanine-QDs).
Moreover, the dyads of porphyrin chromophores with fullerene (corrole-C 60 ) which
are promising materials to be useful for optoelectronics as photoactive materials are
also illustrated. Exemplary photoactive materials are investigated in solutions and in
a form of nanolayers. Comprehensive discussion will focus on properties of
selected organic dyes (the porphyrin family—porphyrins, phthalocyanines, corroles) as well as their interaction with QD and C 60 . Up to date, the role of QD,
corroles, and fullerenes in organic photovoltaics is not fully known yet. In the
paper, we present the selected experimental and theoretical results, including the
basic photophysical properties like UV-VIS and IR absorption, molecular
98
D. Wróbel and B. Barszcz
One of the most important phenomena in the life of living organisms is the process
of electron/energy transfer in photosynthetic systems that convert solar energy into
chemical energy, as well as in photovoltaic devices that convert solar energy into
electricity [1]. In many technological activities, man mimics nature and acquired
knowledge allows him to follow the mechanisms and processes occurring in the
electron-donor-acceptor systems that are also extremely important in the molecular
photovoltaics which is sometime called “artificial photosynthesis.”
The turn of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century is
a period of extremely rapid development of material engineering, especially in
nanotechnology. The reason for such a development of those sciences from the
borderline of physics, chemistry, and electronics is the search for new materials
with desirable properties and at the same time being highly efficient, cheap, and
environmentally friendly. On the other hand, in the face of the depletion of fossil
energy carriers, and above all because of the caused by them atmospheric pollution,
there is an urgent need to find alternative energy sources cooperating with new
organic materials.
Among the many more or less economically justified and socially acceptable
energy sources, the dominant role is played by the conversion of solar energy into
electricity using so-called solar batteries. This term is usually understood as photovoltaic devices capable of converting light energy emitted by the sun into electrical energy. Such devices are already working in countries with high insolation
but, unfortunately, they are not cheap converters and their efficiency is not satisfactory from an economic point of view. The consequence of low efficiency is the
huge sizes of solar batteries, which practically eliminates them from more densely
populated areas. That is why there is a constant struggle to find highly efficient,
cheap, and environmentally friendly converters of solar energy into electricity.
This review deals with the most important aspects of the experimental considerations supported by quantum-mechanical calculations for some selected organic
and inorganic materials. Such a choice is justified by the huge variety of known
organic dyes and systems as well by the easiness of their modification, so they are
even more efficient, more durable, cheaper and they can be easily disposed. In the
chapter, the authors intend to put a special emphasis on characterization of
porphyrin-like dyes and their mixtures with quantum dots (phthalocyanine-QDs).
Moreover, the dyads of porphyrin chromophores with fullerene (corrole-C 60 ) which
are promising materials to be useful for optoelectronics as photoactive materials are
also illustrated. Exemplary photoactive materials are investigated in solutions and in
a form of nanolayers. Comprehensive discussion will focus on properties of
selected organic dyes (the porphyrin family—porphyrins, phthalocyanines, corroles) as well as their interaction with QD and C 60 . Up to date, the role of QD,
corroles, and fullerenes in organic photovoltaics is not fully known yet. In the
paper, we present the selected experimental and theoretical results, including the
basic photophysical properties like UV-VIS and IR absorption, molecular
98
D. Wróbel and B. Barszcz