Photovoltaic Properties of Fungal Melanin

Abstract

The films of fungal melanin (FM) were fabricated from solution, and also optical and photovoltaic properties of the films and heterostructures with other semiconductors were studied. Color and absorption spectra of studied FM were like in eumelanin. Photovoltage of ITO/FM structures under illumination of the free surface side is 2–3 orders of magnitude lower than in the films of phthalocyanines and polyacenes. The photovoltage of double layer heterostructures of FM with C₆₀, SnCl₂ phthalocyanine, sulfonamide zinc phthalocyanine, lead phthalocyanine, pentacene is lower than one in the ITO/FM structures under illumination through the free surface and in organic semiconductor films.

Keywords:

• Fungal melanin
• optical and photovoltaic properties
• films
• heterostructures