| Abstract: | The capability to act as molecular photoelectrodes under visible light irradiation of optically transparent electrodes (ITO) modified by thin films of polypyrrole containing several kind of electron acceptor–donor assemblies has been examined. Photolysis of electrodes coated by thin films of polypyrrole substituted by a reversible electron donor (phenothiazine) in the presence of an irreversible electron acceptor (tropylium cation) in acetonitrile gives weak photocurrents. In contrast, appreciable photocurrents can be obtained using a symmetrical arrangement; viologen as reversible electron acceptor, benzilate anion as irreversible donor. The photoresponses result from the photo-induced charge separation of the charge transfer complexes created in the film. The measured photocurrents are markedly larger (up to five times), with films of polypyrrole substituted by a reversible electron acceptor (viologen) covalently linked with a donor (phenothiazine, triphenylamine or benzidine) than with the unimolecular immobilized system in similar experimental conditions. The greater efficiency of these materials is attributed to the formation of an intramolecular charge transfer complex occurring inside films between the two molecular entities. Markedly weaker photocurrents are obtained with polypyrrole films based on bilayers of the two independent components than those with the unimolecular design, while films based on copolymers arrangements give moderately weaker photoresponses. |
