Highly efficient organic ultraviolet photodetectors based on a Cu(I) complex

We demonstrate high response visible-blind organic ultraviolet photodetector (UV-PD) using 4,4′,4″-tris[3-methyl-pheny(phenyl)amino]triphenylamine (m-MTDATA) and a novel Cu(I) complex, [Cu(1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene)(bathocuproine)]BF4 (CuBB) to act as the electron donor and acceptor, respectively. CuBB behaves high electron mobility and the optimized PD offers a photocurrent up to 173 μA/cm2 at −10 V, corresponding to a response of 251 mA/W under an illumination of 365 nm UV light. We attribute the high response to the high electron transport ability of CuBB, the suppression of radiative decay of m-MTDATA and efficient charge transfer from m-MTDATA to CuBB.