Photovoltaic Properties of Film Composites Based on Poly(vinyl butyral) with Cu/Mn Heterometallic Complex and a Cationic Organic Dye

It has been found that film composites based on nonphotoconducting poly(vinyl butyral) doped with a Cu/Mn heterometallic complex possess photovoltaic properties in the region of absorption of this complex. Introduction of a xanthene dye into the composite leads to an increase in the absolute value of the photovoltaic response, with the sign of the response changing from negative to positive. It is assumed that for the samples with free surface of composite films without a dye, the photovoltaic effect is determined by diffusion of more mobile negative carriers (Dember effect), whereas upon introduction of the cationic dye, photogenerated positive charge carriers play a dominant role in the photovoltaic effect.