Abstract
An investigation of cathodic photocurrent response from a novel molecule with strong non-linear optical properties (second harmonic generation), (E)-N -methyl-4-{2-[4-(dihexadecylamino)phenyl]ethenyl}pyridazinium iodide (MHPd) in LB films on transparent SnO 2 glass has been carried out. A quantum yield of 0.3% was obtained under irradiation with 450 nm light in 0.5 mol dm -3 KCl electrolyte solution and ambient conditions. The studies of the relationship between the light intensity and the cathodic photocurrent indicate that MHPd assemblies perform a unimolecular process in charge recombination. The effects of bias voltage, oxygen and nitrogen, electron donors and acceptors such as methyl viologen diiodide, ascorbic acid and hydroquinone were examined and have provided supporting evidence for the proposed electron-transfer mechanism.