Theoretical study on the effect of applying an external static electric field on the singlet fission dynamics of pentacene dimer models.

Abstract

We investigate the effect of applying an external static electric field on the singlet fission (SF) dynamics of pentacene dimer models using quantum chemical calculations and exciton dynamics simulations. It is found that the excitation energies of anion-cation (AC) and cation-anion (CA) pair exciton states in the SF process are significantly stabilized and destabilized, respectively, by applying an external static electric field (F) in the intermolecular direction. As a result, this change of excitation energies is found to accelerate the SF dynamics in pentacene dimer models. In particular, in the tilted- and parallel-type pentacene dimer models, SF rates at F = 0.001 a.u. are predicted to be about 2.3 and 3.0 times as large as those at F = 0.0 a.u. while keeping the TT yields large. The present result contributes to paving the way for novel physical and chemical controls, that is, an external static electric field application and donor/acceptor substitution on SF molecules, of SF dynamics.