What determines the mobility of charge carriers in conjugated polymers?

Frédéric Laquai, Gerhard Wegner, Heinz Bässler*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

67 Scopus citations

Abstract

In a conjugated polymer, the mobility of charge carriers is not a well-defined coefficient of a particular material as it is in an inorganic crystalline semiconductor but depends on the time domain of detection. On a time-scale of typically 100 fs, the on-chain mobility is ultra-high and controlled by the electronic band width of the polymer chain. When a carrier hits a chain imperfection, subsequent mesoscopic on-chain motion is retarded and controlled by intrachain disorder to which the chain environment contributes. Macroscopic transport commences after a time when interchain carrier jumps become rate limiting. It is routinely probed by time-of-flight experiments and can be rationalized in terms of random walk within a rough energy landscape. Experimental signatures of the various modes of transport are discussed.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1473-1487
Number of pages15
JournalPhilosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences
Volume365
Issue number1855
DOIs
StatePublished - Jun 15 2007
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Conjugated polymers
  • Hopping transport
  • Time-resolved photoconductivity

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Mathematics
  • General Engineering
  • General Physics and Astronomy

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