Semiconductor Nanocrystals Photosensitize C60 Crystals

• Published in: Nano letters 2006-07, Vol.6 (7), p.1559-1563
• Main Authors: Biebersdorf, Andreas, Dietmüller, Roland, Susha, Andrei S, Rogach, Andrey L, Poznyak, Sergey K, Talapin, Dmitri V, Weller, Horst, Klar, Thomas A, Feldmann, Jochen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Cadmium Compounds - chemistry; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronic transport phenomena in thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronics; Exact sciences and technology; Fullerenes - chemistry; Fullerenes and related materials; diamonds, graphite; Indium - chemistry; Materials science; Nanoscale materials and structures: fabrication and characterization; Nanostructures - chemistry; Optoelectronic devices; Other topics in nanoscale materials and structures; Phosphines - chemistry; Photochemistry; Photoconduction and photovoltaic effects; photodielectric effects; Physics; Selenium Compounds - chemistry; Semiconductor electronics. Microelectronics. Optoelectronics. Solid state devices; Semiconductors; Specific materials; Tellurium - chemistry
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl060136g

Semiconductor nanocrystals (SCNCs) made of CdSe, CdTe, and InP are used to photosensitize needlelike C60 crystals. The photocurrent is increased by up to 3 orders of magnitude as compared with C60 crystals without SCNCs. The photocurrent spectrum can be tuned precisely by the SCNC size and material, rendering the SCNC-functionalized C60 crystals an excellent material for spectrally tuneable photodetectors. We explain the increased photocurrent as a result of photoexcited electrons transferring from the SCNCs to the C60 crystals and causing photoconductivity, while the complementary holes remain trapped in the SCNCs.