SPECTROSCOPIC, DARK AND PHOTOCONDUCTIVE PROPERTIES OF SOME POLYENE IODINE CHARGE-TRANSFER COMPLEXES

Spectroscopic evidence has been provided to confirm that zeaxanthin, lutein and fucoxanthin form molecular charge-transfer (CT) complexes with iodine in the solid state. The semiconductive and photoconductive properties of CT complexes have been investigated in polycrystals in a sandwich cell configuration. Both dark and photoconductivity increases by several orders of magnitude on complex formation. The identical values of thermal activation energies for dark and photoconduction have been obtained for the complexes and this has been attributed to spontaneous carrier generation by CT interaction and their migration by trapping and detrapping mechanisms. Photoconduction action spectra in pure polyene and in polyene-iodine complex suggest that photoinjection from the electrode and direct electron hole pair production are the two photocarrier generation mechanisms operative in these crystals. The second mechanism predominates in pure materials whereas the first one becomes important in the complexes.