Electrochemical Synthesis of C60-Derivatized Poly(thiophene)s from Tailored Precursors

Linear π-conjugated systems derivatized with C60-fullerene as molecular heterojunctions for organic photovoltaics

This tutorial review covers recent contributions in the area of linear pi-conjugated systems bound to fullerenes in view of their application as active materials in photovoltaic devices. The first part discusses the concepts of double-cable polymer and molecular hetero-junction and presents several examples of chemically or electrochemically synthesized C60-derivatized conjugated polymers. The second and main part of the article concerns the various classes of C60-derivatized pi-conjugated oligomers designed in view of their utilization in single-component photovoltaic devices. Thus, C60-containing pi-conjugated systems such as oligoarylenevinylenes, oligoaryleneethynylenes and oligothiophenes are discussed on the basis of the relationships between molecular structure, photophysical properties and performances of the derived photovoltaic devices. A brief last section presents some recent examples of surface-attached molecular hetero-junctions based on self-assembled monolayers and discusses possible routes for future research.

Synthesis and Electrolytic Polymerization of the Ethylenedioxy-Substituted Terthiophene−Fullerene Dyad

[reaction: see text] Two derivatives of ethylenedioxy-substituted terthiophene-fullerene dyads were newly synthesized as the precursors for polythiophene having fullerene side chains. By electrolytic oxidation of dyad 1, the charm-bracelet type polythiophene, poly-1, was obtained as a purple film, which showed electrochemical activity, electrochromism, and photoelectronic response.