Persistent Photoconductivity in Perylene Diimide Nanofiber Materials

Perylene tetracarboxylic diimide (PTCDI) derivatives have been extensively investigated for one-dimensional (1D) self-assembly and their applications in optoelectronic devices. Our study on self-assembled PTCDI nanofiber materials revealed a persistent photoconductivity (PPC) effect, which is sustained conductivity after illumination is terminated. A comprehensive understanding of the PPC effect in PTCDI nanofibril materials will enable us to explore and enhance their optoelectronic applications. Here, we have investigated the PPC effect in the nanofibers assembled from 1-methylpiperidine-substituted perylene tetracarboxylic diimide (MP-PTCDI) with respect to the PPC relaxation at different temperatures, illumination power densities, molar amount, and morphology of the PTCDI film deposited on the interdigitated electrodes. The photocurrent relaxation was also performed on several other PTCDI nanofiber materials for comparative study. We conclude that the significant PPC effect in MP-PTCDI nanofibers can b...