Construction of Electron Transfer Network by Self-Assembly of Self-n-Doped Fullerene Ammonium Iodide

Construction of pi-conjugation network in ordered fullerenes by self-assembly remains challenging for improving their optoelectronic performance and developing advanced materials. Here, we present a layered stacking of self-n-doped fullerene ammonium iodide (PCBANI) through a delicate balance among iodide anion-C-60 pi, electrostatic, and C-60 pi-pi interactions to construct an unprecedented supra molecular system. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and computational modeling are carried out to clarify the structure. Remarkably, the formation of intermolecular iodide anion pi interactions between iodide and the surrounded fullerene cores yields an iodide-linked C-60 pi-pi two-dimensional (2-D) network. Consequently, the ordered and tightly packed fullerenes sandwiching iodide could facilitate electron transfer along the network system. Comparative devices incorporating the disordered films show dramatically decreased current densities and manifest the importance of the pi-extended network for electron transfer. This work provides a key strategy to control the packing of ordered electron-transport materials to suppress defect formation. Moreover, engineering self-assembly of self-n-doped fullerenes with novel architectures, such as nanowire, nanotube, and nanoparticle would yield new functionalities that are suitable for photovoltaic devices, nanoelectronics, etc.