Electrodeposition of C60Cluster Aggregates on Nanostructured SnO2Films for Enhanced Photocurrent Generation

Clusters of C 60 formed in acetonitrile (ACN)/toluene solutions are deposited as thin films on nanostructured SnO 2 electrodes under the influence of an electric field. These films exhibit remarkable photoelectrochemical activity under visible light excitation. The photocurrent observed with these novel electrodes (∼0.14 mA/cm 2 obtained with visible light excitation, λ > 425 nm, 130 mW/cm 2 ) is 2−3 orders of magnitude larger than previously reported values for a fullerene system. Direct electron transfer between the excited C 60 clusters deposited on SnO 2 nanocrystallites and the redox couple (I 3 - /I - ) in solution is responsible for the enhanced photocurrent generation.