RESUMO
Exciton diffusion in organic materials provides the operational basis for functioning of such devices as organic solar cells and light-emitting diodes. Here we track the exciton diffusion process in organic semiconductors in real time with a novel technique based on femtosecond photoinduced absorption spectroscopy. Using vacuum-deposited C_{70} layers as a model system, we demonstrate an extremely high diffusion coefficient of D≈3.5×10^{-3} cm^{2}/s that originates from a surprisingly low energetic disorder of <5 meV. The experimental results are well described by the analytical model and supported by extensive Monte Carlo simulations. The proposed noninvasive time-of-flight technique is deemed as a powerful tool for further development of organic optoelectronic components, such as simple layered solar cells, light-emitting diodes, and electrically pumped lasers.
RESUMO
BACKGROUND: Macromolecule mobility is often quantified with Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP). Throughout literature a wide range of diffusion coefficients for GFP in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli (3 to 14 µm²/s) is reported using FRAP-based approaches. In this study, we have evaluated two of these methods: pulsed-FRAP and "conventional"-FRAP. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: To address the question whether the apparent discrepancy in the diffusion data stems from methodological differences or biological variation, we have implemented and compared the two techniques on bacteria grown and handled in the same way. The GFP diffusion coefficients obtained under normal osmotic conditions and upon osmotic upshift were very similar for the different techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Our analyses indicate that the wide range of values reported for the diffusion coefficient of GFP in live cells are due to experimental conditions and/or biological variation rather than methodological differences.
