Synthesis and characterization of CdSe nanorods functionalized with regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene)

Nanorod-polymer composites consisting of intimately connected regioregular poly( 3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and CdSe nanorods hold promise for applications in photoactive devices. As phase separation typifies nanorod-polymer or nanoparticle-polymer composites, synthetic routes to chemically attach P3HT to CdSe nanorods are needed. In this study, arylbromide-functionalized CdSe nanorods were prepared by ligand exchange from conventional alkane-covered CdSe nanorods. Vinyl- terminated P3HT was then attached to the nanorod surface by Heck coupling with the arylbromide ligands. Transmission electron microscopy ( TEM) of the P3HT-functionalized CdSe nanorods showed excellent nanorod dispersion in the P3HT matrix, unlike that seen for alkane-covered nanorods in P3HT. Importantly, photoluminescence characterization performed on thin films of the P3HT-covered nanorods showed photoluminescence quenching of P3HT, making these hybrid materials good candidates for photovoltaic applications.