Efficient Hot Electron Capture in CuPc/MoSe₂ Heterostructure Assisted by Intersystem Crossing

Efficient hot electron extraction is a promising approach to develop photovoltaic devices that exceed the Shockley–Queisser limit. However, experimental evidence of hot electron harvesting employing an organic–inorganic interface is still elusive. Here, we reveal the hot electron dynamics at a CuPc/MoSe 2 interface using steady-state spectroscopy and transient absorption spectroscopy. A hot electron transfer efficiency of greater than 78% from MoSe 2 to CuPc is observed, comparable to that achieved in quantum dot hybrid systems. The mechanism is proposed as follows: the photogenerated hot electrons in MoSe 2 transfer to CuPc and form singlet charge transfer states, which subsequently transform into triplet charge transfer states assisted by the rapid intersystem crossing, inhibiting back-donation of electrons and facilitating exciton dissociation into CuPc polarons with a nanosecond lifetime. Our results demonstrate that the intersystem crossing of the hybrid electronic state at organic–inorganic interfaces may serve as a scheme to enable efficient hot electron extraction in photovoltaic devices.