Interactions of π-conjugated polymers with inorganic nanocrystals

Photophysics of hybrid nanostructures of pi-conjugated polymers and inorganic nanoparticles remains a frontier area of research due to the potentials of such structures in the development of optoelectronic, photovoltaic and light harvesting devices. A brief overview of recent developments in the photophysical interactions of pi-conjugated semiconducting polymers with inorganic quantum dots and metal nanoparticles is illustrated in this review. To begin with, we describe general synthetic methodologies of pi-conjugated polymers and polymer inorganic hybrid nanostructures. Successively, we emphasize on the fundamental understanding of interfacial charge transfer, energy transfer and electron transfer during the interactions of conjugated polymer with inorganic nanocrystals. The free charge carrier generation at organic/inorganic interface is of crucial importance in the development advanced materials for the above applications. Recent findings reveal that exciton-plasmon interactions in pi-conjugated polymer/metal nanoparticle hybrid nanostructures offer exciting opportunities for device technologies. The strong fluorescence quenching in conjugated polymer by Au nanoparticles is assigned to either internal energy transfer or charge transfer processes. Discussions have also been carried out to unveil the local surface plasmon-coupled resonance effect of metal nanoparticles on the properties of pi-conjugated polymers. We discuss briefly about their versatile applications in optoelectronics, solar cells and other photovoltaic devices. Finally an outlook on the prospects of this research field is given. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.