The use of water-based organic semiconductor nanoparticles (NPs) for energy devices has attracted considerable attention as one of the promising eco-friendly applications. In particularly, aqueous dispersions of p-n heterostructured NPs are a composite of both p- and n-type semiconductors contained within a core part of single nanoparticle. Despite their great concept, efficient charge carrier kinetics, particularly for charge separation are however restricted due to structural limitations of particles. Overcoming these limitations, a new class of surfactant, PEG-C60, decorated a polyethylene glycol chain on the n-type semiconducting fullerene molecule is introduced.  The approach here, facilitates unusual p-n heterostructured water-borne NPs as a core (p-type semiconcudtor)-shell (PEG-C60) formation, which allows superior charge separation effects via effective carrier communications. Moreover, the systematic observations for the structural behavior of colloids by different material concentrations and processing solvents, and their corresponding photo-physical properties suggest that the PEG-C60 plays a crucial role in governing the nanoparticle size, shape, formation and charge carrier characteristics. Through the current-voltage response measurement, charge separation superiority by our unusual core-shell heterostructured water-based NPs was also proved. These PEG-C60-based water-borne NPs, thus, can open up and provide a new paradigm in the current fields of water-based semiconductor colloids.  <br/>

Unusual p-n heterostructured water-borne nanoparticles exhibiting superior charge separation ability

255th National Meeting (2018)

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