Suchergebnisse

The self-assembly of novel core-shell nanoensembles consisting of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene) nanoparticles (P3HTNPs) of 100 nm as core and semiconducting CdTe quantum dots (CdTeQDs) as shell with a thickness of a few tens of nanometres was accomplished by employing a re-precipitation approach. The structure, morphology and composition of CdTeQDs/P3HTNPs nanoensembles were confirmed by high-resolution scanning transmission microscopy and dynamic light scattering studies. Intimate interface contact between the CdTeQDs shell and the P3HTNPs core leads to the stabilization of the CdTeQDs/P3HTNPs nanoensemble as probed by steady-state absorption spectroscopy. Effective quenching of the characteristic photoluminescence of CdTeQDs at 555 nm, accompanied by simultaneous increase of emission of P3HTNPs at 660 and 720 nm, reveals photoinduced charge-transfer processes. Probing the redox properties of films of CdTeQDs/P3HTNPs further proves the formation of a stabilized core-shell system in the solid-state. Photoelectrochemical assays on CdTeQDs/P3HTNPs films show a reversible on-off photoresponse at a bias voltage of +0.8 V with a three times increased photocurrent compared to CdTeQDs. The improved charge separation is directly related to the unique core-shell configuration, in which the outer CdTeQDs shell forces the P3HTNPs core to effectively act as electron acceptor. The creation of novel donor-acceptor core-shell hybrid materials via self-assembly is transferable to other types of conjugated polymers and semiconducting nanoparticles. This work, therefore, opens new pathways for the design of improved optoelectronic devices. ; This work has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 642742. AMB and WKM gratefully acknowledge financial support from Spanish MINECO under project ENE206-79282-C5-1-R and its associated European Regional Development Fund, as well as the Government of Aragon under project DGA-T66 and associated European Social Fund. RA gratefully acknowledges financial support from Spanish MINECO under project MAT2016 79776-P and its associated European Regional Development Fund, as well as the Government of Aragon under project DGA-E26 and associated European Social Fund. The STEM studies were conducted at the Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas, Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragon Universidad de Zaragoza, Spain. The authors would like to thank Esteban Urriolabeitía for carrying out the NMR studies. ; Peer reviewed