Electroanalytical Screening Method for Characterization of Charge Transport Compounds

Abstract

Cyclic voltammetry has been demonstrated as a rapid screening method for use in characterization of charge transport materials. This technique is simple, fast, and inexpensive to perform. The method provides information about electron transfer processes including band gap of the material and the relative ease of charge and discharge. Certain features of the cyclic voltammetric (CV) wave correspond to events involved in charge generation, charge transport, and discharge within the photoconductor. The potential of the first CV wave observed, either reduction or oxidation, corresponds fairly well to the ease of charging the photoconductor. The type of electron transfer indicates whether the material is more readily oxidized (to positive charge) or reduced (to negative charge). The current ratio of that CV wave is a reasonable predictor of the ease and completeness of discharge, and the reversibility of the wave is a predictor of the kinetics of the process. We report results from this cyclic voltammetric screening method for a number of charge transport compounds, and compare these results with behavior of the compounds in the electrophotographic environment.