Chapter 5 - Charge-transporting polymers and molecular glasses

Abstract

The use of organic charge-transporting polymers in modern copying and laser printing techniques represents one of the most sophisticated applications of polymeric materials. This chapter describes the different classes of charge-transporting polymers and molecular glasses by focusing on the synthesis and charge-transporting properties of the most effective representatives. The ability of polymers and molecular glasses to transport charges is widely exploited in electrophotography, light-emitting diodes (LEDs), photovoltaic devices, and photorefractive materials. Charge-transporting polymers and molecular glasses are widely used in electrophotography. A fascinating field of application of charge-transporting polymers and molecular glasses is the conversion of solar energy into electric energy. It is based on the photovoltaic effect by which electrons and holes are produced as a result of photoexcited electron transfer between the donor and the acceptor and are collected at electrodes. These semiconductor devices are usually called “photovoltaic devices” or “solar cells.” The increasing interest in electron-transporting molecular glasses is determined mainly by their application in LEDs.