Electrochemically formed semiconductor nanoparticle/polymer composite thin films

Semiconductor nanoparticles (SC-NP), such as those created from CdSe, have great potential as the primary light absorber in both solar electric (photovoltaic) and solar hydrogen energy conversion technologies. The primary steps in solar energy conversion include light absorption (where these SC-NPs excel); exciton dissociation into mobile charge carriers; charge transport; and iv) charge collection (and/or production of a fuel such as hydrogen) can be difficult to control for materials systems in which the SC-NP is only dispersed in a polymer host. We have recently shown that electroactive ligands (based on electron-rich thiophenes) can be used to protect the SC-NP, and that these ligands then allow for electrochemical cross-linking of the SC-NP into a conducting or semiconducting polymer host. This talk will focus on formation and characterization of our most recent SC-NP/polythiophene composite materials, and the energetics of photoinduced electron transfer in these materials.