Issue 27, 2010
From the journal:

Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics

Hybrid nanocomposites of CdSenanocrystals distributed in complexing thiophene-based copolymers†

Dmitry Aldakov,‡*a   Tonggang Jiu,§a   Malgorzata Zagorska,b   Rémi de Bettignies,c   Pierre-Henri Jouneau,d   Adam Prona  and  Frédéric Chandezon*a  

* Corresponding authors

a INAC/SPrAM (UMR 5819 CEA-CNRS-Univ. J. Fourier-Grenoble I), Laboratoire d'Electronique Moléculaire Organique et Hybride, CEA Grenoble, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble, France
E-mail: aldadmi@gmail.com, frederic.chandezon@cea.fr

b Faculty of Chemistry, Warsaw University of Technology, Noakowskiego 3, 00 664 Warszawa, Poland

c CEA/DRT/LITEN/DTS/LCS, INES-RDI, Laboratoire des Composants Solaires, 50, avenue du Lac Léman, BP332, 73377 Le Bourget du Lac, France

d INAC/SP2M/LEMMA, CEA Grenoble, 17 rue des Martyrs, 38054 Grenoble, France

Abstract

Two types of conjugated polymers were prepared with the goal to blend them with rod-like CdSe nanocrystals. The polymers of the first type were synthesized through copolymerization of 3-octylthiophene and 3-methylene-ethylcarboxylate-thiophene to give polythiophene with solubilizing alkyl groups and methylene ester functional groups (PE series). Post-polymerization hydrolysis of the ester type polymers yielded acid-type ones (PA series). Photoluminescence (PL) quenching in these polymers induced by their titration with nanocrystals solution was chosen as a measure of the polymer–nanocrystal interactions. PL of polyacids turned out to be more efficiently quenched as compared to the case of polymers with ester groups which was interpreted as an indication of better electronic communication between the hybrid components. Infrared (IR) spectroscopy confirmed efficient coordination of the carboxylic groups to CdSe. Voltammetric studies combined with UV-vis spectroelectrochemistry enabled the determination of energy levels alignment of the molecular composite components which turned out to be of staggered type—appropriate for photovoltaic applications. The obtained blends of polyacids with CdSe nanocrystals, when studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), revealed the presence of an interpenetrating network in which nanorods were homogeneously distributed within the polymer matrix without any indication of agglomerates formation both on the film surface and in the cross-section. Blends with polymers containing ester groups were less homogeneous which could be explained by weaker polymer–nanocrystals interactions. Photovoltaic cells based on these hybrid materials are also discussed.

Graphical abstract: Hybrid nanocomposites of CdSe nanocrystals distributed in complexing thiophene-based copolymers

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Article information

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1039/B921239F
Article type
Paper
Submitted
13 Oct 2009
Accepted
29 Mar 2010
First published
25 May 2010

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2010,12, 7497-7505

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Hybrid nanocomposites of CdSe nanocrystals distributed in complexing thiophene-based copolymers

D. Aldakov, T. Jiu, M. Zagorska, R. D. Bettignies, P. Jouneau, A. Pron and F. Chandezon, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2010, 12, 7497 DOI: 10.1039/B921239F

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