Morphology, optical, and electric properties of polymer-quantum dots nanocomposites: effect of polymeric matrix

Polymer-CdTe quantum dots (QDs) nanocomposites were developed via solvent casting. Colloidal CdTe QDs, synthesized in aqueous solution, were transferred to organic media by exchanging of the original capping ligands by a long-chain thiol. Different commercial polymers (PMMA, OPS, PS, and PC), transparent in the visible spectral range, were chosen as matrices. Stock solutions of the polymers were prepared in suitable concentration (2 wt%) for the production of thin films with good quality, able to maximize the solubility of QDs, without phase separation. Studies on the morphological and optical properties were performed. The results showed that the polymer matrix has a considerable effect on QDs’ morphology, size, and electric conductivity. PMMA demonstrated to be the most promising embedding matrix, offering new possibilities for optoelectronic applications of polymer-QD nanocomposites.