title: Semiconducting conjugated polymer-inorganic tetrapod nanocomposites.
abstract: Cadmium telluride (CdTe) tetrapods were synthesized via multiple injections of the Te precursor by utilizing bifunctional ligands. Subsequently, tetrapod-shaped semiconducting inorganic-organic nanocomposites (i.e., P3HT-CdTe tetrapod nanocomposites) were produced by directly grafting conjugated polymer ethynyl-terminated poly(3-hexylthiophene) (i.e., P3HT-≡) onto azide-functionalized CdTe tetrapods (i.e., CdTe-N3) via a catalyst-free click chemistry. The intimate contact between P3HT and CdTe tetrapod rendered the effective dispersion of CdTe tetrapods in nanocomposites and facilitated their efficient electronic interaction. The success of coupling reaction was confirmed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The grafting density of P3HT chains on the CdTe tetrapods was estimated by thermogravimetric analysis. The photophysical properties of P3HT-CdTe tetrapod nanocomposites were studied using UV-vis and photoluminescence spectroscopies. These intimate semiconducting conjugated polymer-tetrapod nanocomposites may offer a maximized interface between conjugated polymers and tetrapods for efficient charge separation and enhanced charge transport regardless of their orientation for potential application in hybrid solar cells with improved power conversion efficiency.
authors.affiliation: School of Materials Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332, USA.
authors.forename: Jaehan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Xinchang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: Chaowei
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Zhiqun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Lin