Kobe breakthrough offers blueprint for enhanced photon up-conversion materials

Kobe breakthrough offers blueprint for enhanced photon up-conversion materials
by Riko Saibo
Kobe, Japan (SPX) Mar 19, 2024

Researchers at Kobe University have made a significant advancement in the quest for more efficient energy utilization by uncovering a method to merge two low-energy photons into a single high-energy photon. This discovery is pivotal for the next generation of photovoltaic cells, OLED displays, and novel anti-cancer treatments. The team, led by photoscientist Yasuhiro Kobori, has provided critical insights into the molecular dynamics necessary for this process, known as photon up-conversion.

Photon up-conversion, the process of transforming lower-energy photons into a single photon of higher energy, is a key technological goal for enhancing the efficiency of solar cells, improving the performance of OLED displays, and developing new anti-cancer therapies. Despite its potential, the mechanism facilitating efficient up-conversion remained poorly understood, hindering material development. Kobori's research group has now bridged this gap by focusing on the electron spin states of excited molecules within a solid.

The study, detailed in The Journal of Physical Chemistry Letters, reveals that for effective photon up-conversion, the electron spin states of two "triplet excitons" must align. This alignment is contingent on the molecules' orientation and their ability to freely transfer energy through varied orientations without proceeding too rapidly, ensuring adequate time for energy interconversion.

The breakthrough came from utilizing a thin-film solid-state material, enabling the observation of magnetic properties of electron spins and generating high concentrations of triplet excitons. This method overcame previous obstacles seen in solution systems, where rapid molecular rotation complicates magnetic property observations, and in conventional solid-state systems, which suffer from low reaction efficiencies.

Kobori's team employed a comprehensive approach, initially observing the electron spin state's temporal evolution in solid-state up-conversion materials. They then modeled the electron spin motion and formulated a new theoretical model linking the electron spin state to the up-conversion process.

This discovery offers a design guideline for creating highly efficient photon up-conversion materials based on an understanding of the microscopic mechanisms involved. Kobori envisions this knowledge facilitating the development of high-efficiency solar cells and expanding into other areas, such as photodynamic cancer therapy and diagnostics using near-infrared light, without damaging human tissue.

Research Report:Efficient Spin Interconversion by Molecular Conformation Dynamics of a Triplet Pair for Photon Up-Conversion in an Amorphous Solid