Enhanced photo-stability of conjugated polymer nanocomposites doped with functionalized nanoparticles

Abstract A new nanoparticle approach to enhance the lifetime of conjugated polymer devices was suggested. We prepared poly( p -phenylenevinylene) (PPV) nanocomposites films doped with gold-coated silica (SiO 2 @ Au) nanoparticles and characterized the photo-luminescent properties of them. The optical resonance of SiO 2 @ Au nanoparticles was specifically designed to interact with the triplet excitons which play a primary role in the photo-oxidation of PPV. The rate of photo-oxidation in PPV was drastically reduced by doping with SiO 2 @ Au nanoparticles, while the absorption and photo-luminescent spectra vary slightly between pristine PPV and PPV nanocomposite films. This effect has important implications on the enhancement of lifetimes in conjugated polymers-based optoelectronic devices.