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Role of surface modification of colloidal CdSe quantum dots on the properties of hybrid organic–inorganic nanocomposites

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Abstract

In this work, tri-octyl phosphine/tri-octyl phosphine oxide (TOPO)-capped cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QDs) of varied sizes (5–9 nm), prepared by varying the input Cd:Se precursor ratio using chemical route, were dispersed in conducting polymer matrices viz. poly[2-methoxy, 5-(2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylene vinylene] (MEH-PPV) and poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT). By using a binary solvent mixture (pyridine–chloroform), homogeneous dispersion of CdSe nanocrystals in polymers (MEH-PPV, P3HT) could be realized. The properties of the resulting dispersions could be tailored by the composition and concentration of QDs in polymer. The emission and structural properties of polymer–CdSe nanocomposites are found to be dependent on the crystallite size and morphology of CdSe nanocrystallites. An effective quenching of photoluminescence emission in the polymer nanocomposite was observed for smaller CdSe quantum dots (size ∼6 nm) as compared to larger CdSe quantum dots (size ∼9 nm), thus ensuring efficient charge transfer process across the polymer–CdSe interface in the former case. The incomplete quenching, particularly for MEH-PPV:CdSe nanocomposites, could be as a result of insufficient coverage of polymers on the surface of CdSe nanocrystallites, mainly due to phase segregation for TOPO-stripped CdSe nanocrystallites. The superior morphology and optical properties of polymer nanocomposite (P3HT:CdSe QDs) could play a pivotal role for the realization of effective charge separation and transport in hybrid solar cells.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Director NPL for providing the facilities for the successful completion of this research work. Umesh Kumar and Kusum Kumari gratefully acknowledges UGC and CSIR (New Delhi) for their SRF fellowship, respectively.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Electronic Materials Division, National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K. S. Krishnan Marg, New Delhi, 110 012, India

    Umesh Kumar, Kusum Kumari, Shailesh N. Sharma, Mahesh Kumar & Vikram Kumar

  2. Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi, 110 007, India

    Umesh Kumar & Rita Kakkar

  3. Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi, 110 016, India

    Kusum Kumari & V. D. Vankar

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  1. Umesh Kumar
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  2. Kusum Kumari
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  3. Shailesh N. Sharma
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  5. V. D. Vankar
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  6. Rita Kakkar
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Correspondence to Shailesh N. Sharma.

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Kumar, U., Kumari, K., Sharma, S.N. et al. Role of surface modification of colloidal CdSe quantum dots on the properties of hybrid organic–inorganic nanocomposites. Colloid Polym Sci 288, 841–849 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-010-2205-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00396-010-2205-y

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