Photoconduction study on a ladder-type poly(para-phenylene)

The xerographic technique was used to investigate the photogeneration of charge carriers in a methyl-substituted ladder-poly(para-phenylene) (LPPP). The quantum efficiency of charge carrier generation was calculated from photoinduced-discharge curves (PIDCs) and found to be independent of the excitation wavelength and temperature. This is in contrast to the 3D Onsager theory which predicts a wavelength and temperature dependent photogeneration of free charge carriers. LPPP shows a high overall quantum efficiency up to 25%, a very low residual potential and a small dark decay. Thus, LPPP provides a promising way to build a single component one-layer photoreceptor sensitive to blue light.