Intra-molecular mobility of charge carriers along oligogermane backbones studied by flash photolysis time-resolved microwave conductivity and transient optical spectroscopy techniques

Time-resolved microwave conductivity (TRMC) measurement has been performed for fullerene-doped thin films of oligo (dimethylgermane) at different excitation energies to evaluate the intra-molecular mobility of holes along their Ge backbones. Photo-induced electron transfer reaction between oligogermane and fullerene has been observed in the solution with a variety of solvent polarity using transient optical spectroscopy (TOS). The transient spectrum at 391 nm can be attributed to the radical cation of the oligomer under an excitation at 532-nm light, whereas the same spectrum (391 nm) is the overlapping of absorptions of radical cations and neutral radicals of oligogermanes upon exposure of 355-nm light in polar solvent. A combined TRMC and TOS experiments on the solutions of oligomer confirms the conductive transients originate from the radical cations on the backbone chains.