Polymer-nanoparticle hybrid materials and thin films on transparent conductive metal oxide surfaces

POLY 62

R. Clayton Shallcross, clayshal@email.arizona.edu, Boyun Kim, boyunk@email.arizona.edu, Pei Yuin Keng, pkeng@email.arizona.edu, Erin L. Ratcliff, Judith J. Jenkins, Neal R. Armstrong, nra@email.arizona.edu, and Jeffrey Pyun, jpyun@email.arizona.edu. Department of Chemistry, University of Arizona, 1306 East University Boulevard, Tucson, AZ 85721
The synthesis and passivation of semiconductor and metallic nanoparticles have been achieved using functional ligands and polymeric surfactants to prepare both electroactive and magnetically responsive nanocomposites. Cadmium selenide (CdSe) nanoparticles and nanorods were prepared using established methods and decorated with novel bifunctional ligands to introduce reactive thiophene groups. Subsequent copolymerization of free 3,4-alkyleneoxythiophene monomers with thiophene functional CdSe quantum dots was conducted using indium tin oxide (ITO) substrates to prepare tethered nanocomposite thin films. Strategies to covalently bind polythiophene and CdSe nanostructures were investigated using different functional ligands to couple thin films to ITO. Ferromagnetic cobalt nanoparticles were also prepared and decorated with various copolymers to enable wetting and covalent binding to ITO thin films. Morphological and electrochemical characterization of both electro- and magneto-active thin films will be discussed using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), x-ray diffraction (XRD) and cyclic volatmmetry (CV).