# Atums Green Conjugated Polymer Heterojunction Films as Blue-Sensitive Photodiodes

## TL;DR

A new conjugated polymer called Atums Green is developed for efficient blue-light detection around 450 nm, with improved performance when mixed with asphaltene.

## Contribution

A novel conjugated polymer optimized for blue-light detection at 450 nm, with enhanced photosensitivity using asphaltene.

## Key findings

- Atums Green (AG) is a new conjugated polymer with strong absorption around 450 nm.
- Adding asphaltene improves the photosensitivity of AG-based photodetectors.
- AG is suitable for blue-light detection relevant to display technologies and light hazard control.

## Abstract

Conjugated polymers (CPs) offer many attractive features for photodiodes and photovoltaics, including solution processability, ease of scale-up, light weight, low cost, and mechanical flexibility. CPs have a wide range of energy gaps; thus, the choice of the specific polymer determines the optimum operational wavelength range. However, there are relatively few CPs with a strong absorption in the blue region of the spectrum where the human eye is most sensitive (440 to 470 nm) and none with an energy gap at 2.75 eV (450 nm), which corresponds to the peak of the CIE-1931 z(λ) color-matching function and the dominant blue light emission wavelength in computer and smartphone displays. Blue-light detectors in this wavelength range are important for light hazard control, sky polarization studies, and for blue-light information devices, where 450 nm corresponds to the principal emission of GaN-based light sources. We report on a new CP called Atums Green (AG), which shows promising characteristics as a blue-light photodetection polymer optimized for exactly this range of wavelengths centered around 450 nm. We built and measured a simple photodetector made from spin-coated films of AG and showed that its photosensitivity can be improved by the addition of asphaltene, a low-cost carbonaceous waste product.