Electric field effect on electron transfer between donor and acceptor in polymer matrix

Abstract

Theoretical investigations on the effect of an external electric field on electron transfer from a photoexcited electron donor to an acceptor doped in a rigid polymer matrix have been described. Four cases are considered: (I) intramolecular electron transfer in donor–acceptor pairs linked by a spacer, (II) intermolecular electron transfer between donor and acceptor molecules which are both randomly distributed in a matrix, (III) competition between the intermolecular and intramolecular electron transfers in highly concentrated donor–spacer–acceptor systems and (IV) migration of excitation among donor molecules and its effect on the intermolecular electron transfer. The field-induced variation in the donor fluorescence intensity calculated for cases I–IV and its dependence on some parameters characterizing the donor–acceptor system have been discussed in the light of available experimental data.