Synthesis And Characterization Of Semiconducting Conjugated Polymer-Nanowire Nanocomposites

Semiconducting organic inorganic nancomposites composed of inorganic nanowires in intimate contact with conjugated polymers were successfully synthesized by grafting vinyl-terminated poly(3-hexylthiophene) onto bromobenzylphosphonic acid (BBPA)-functionalized CdSe nanowires (BBPA-CdSe NWs) via a mild palladium-catalyzed Heck coupling (i.e., a "grafting onto" strategy for P3HT-CdSe NW nanocomposites). The success of coupling reaction was confirmed by H-1 and P-31 NMR measurements. The as-prepared BBPA-CdSe NWs possessed a smooth surface and a uniform diameter along the growth direction with the polycrystalline structure. The resulting P3HT-CdSe NW nanocomposites exhibited the same crystalline structure as BBPA-CdSe NWs. The grafting density of P3HT onto CdSe NW was greatly increased as compared to that using conventional ligand exchange approach. The photoluminescence (PL) measurement on nanocomposites suggested the charge transfer from P3HT to CdSe NW.