Photoinduced ultrafast dye-to-semiconductor electron injection from nonthermalized and thermalized donor states

Electron injection from the transition metal complex Ru(dcbpy)(2)(NCS)(2) (dcbpy = 4,4'-dicarboxy-2,2'-bipyridine) into a titanium dioxide nanocrystalline film occurs on the femto- and picosecond time scales. Here we show that the dominating part of the electron transfer proceeds extremely rapidly from the initially populated, vibronically nonthermalized, singlet excited state, prior to electronic and nuclear relaxation of the molecule. The results are especially relevant to the understanding and design of molecular-based photovoltaic devices and artificial photosynthetic assemblies.