Preparation and photoconductivity of PVP-CoPc self-assembled film

Abstract

Through the complexation of cobalt phthalocyanine (CoPc) and a film of poly[4-vinyl- pyridine] (PVP) polarized by an electric field, a new type of preferentially oriented self-assembled film (PVP-CoPc) was obtained. The characterization of the film by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), angle-dependent x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Fourier transform infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (FTIR-RAS) revealed that the planes of pyridine rings oriented perpendicular to the film surface, while the planes of phthalocyanine rings were oriented parallel with, and coordinated on, the film surface. Photoconductivity study showed that the photoconductivities of the photoreceptors (PR's) made from the PVP-CoPc self-assembled film were much better than those from CoPc alone. These changes were ascribed to the charge transfer and the unique and ordered structure of PVP-CoPc self-assembled film.