A method to tailor the donor/acceptor interface of bulk heterojunction organic photovoltaic devices by modifying the surface chemistry of semiconductor quantum dots (CdSe SQDs) will be presented. The ligands on CdSe SQD surfaces play an impactful role in their synthesis, solution properties and nanophase organization in a polymer matrix. In this work, we report a method to stabilize CdSe SQDs in a poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) matrix through ligand modification by successive ligand exchanges.  The surface ligands that were studied include dodecylphosphonic acid, pyridine, and pyridine end-functional P3HT. The pyridine end-group installed on P3HT has the propensity to coordinate to CdSe SQDs, thereby creating intimate contact between the donor and acceptor materials. Thin films of P3HT/CdSe blends were prepared under different annealing conditions and characterized using transmission electron microscopy and grazing incidence x-ray scattering techniques. The solution and electronic properties of the P3HT/CdSe blends will also be discussed.

Tailoring nanoscale organization of CdSe/P3HT blends by ligand modification

245th National Meeting (2013)

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