Hybrid organic-inorganic (MEH-PPV/P3HT:CdSe) nanocomposites: linking film morphology to photostability

¹ Electronic Materials Division, National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K.S. Krishnan Marg, 110012 New Delhi, India
² Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, 110007 Delhi, India
³ University School of Basic and Applied Sciences, Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University, 110403 Delhi, India
⁴ Materials Characterization, National Physical Laboratory, Dr. K.S. Krishnan Marg, 110012 New Delhi, India
⁵ Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Technology, 110016 New Delhi, India

Corresponding author: shailesh@mail.nplindia.ernet.in

Received: 10 September 2009
Accepted: 17 February 2010
Published online: 31 March 2010

Abstract

In this work, TOPO(tri-octyl phosphine oxide)/TOP(tri-octyl phosphine)-capped cadmium selenide (CdSe) quantum dots (QD's) of varied sizes (5–9 nm) prepared at different input Cd:Se precursor ratio's (1:1–2:1) 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) respectively. The properties of polymer:CdSe nanocomposites are evaluated by means of photoluminescence (PL), UV-VIS absorption, Raman, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) techniques respectively. The emission and structural properties of polymer-CdSe nanocomposites are found to be dependent on their morphology. The better quality of smallest sized CdSe QD's (size ~5 nm) in conjunction with regioregular P3HT polymer, leads to higher photostability of P3HT:CdSe QD's nanocomposites as compared to that for corresponding MEH-PPV:CdSe nanocomposites, thus making it as an attractive candidate for hybrid solar cells application.