The quest for alternative energy sources has been an extensive area of research for the past several decades. Organic photovoltaics are an important aspect of this quest because of their potential low cost and flexibility. The efficiency of photovoltaic devices depends on several factors, including the charge transfer that occurs at the electron donor-acceptor interface and charge propagation towards the electrodes. Organic molecules that self assemble into ordered structures can potentially provide a continuous pathway for charge migration. Perylene diimides (PDIs) have been shown to have excellent absorption and excited state properties and are also currently one of the best n-type conducting materials. Much work has therefore been spent exploring ways to incorporate and optimize their performance in devices. Preparing PDIs with various substitutions at the diimide nodal positions raise possibilities for self-assembly into stacking orientations that are also conducive to charge separation and migration.
In this thesis, we present photophysical studies on a new PDI having trialkoxybenzene hydrazides substituted at the nodal positions, with the potential for hydrogen bonding and liquid crystal formation, as a way to enhance self assembly. In particular we describe the use of steady state absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy, as well as time resolved fluorescence spectroscopy, to study the excited state behavior of this PDI. The results of this work are discussed in the context of the two different morphologies that have thus far been prepared.