Synthesis of size-controlled CdSe quantum dots and characterization of CdSe-conjugated polymer blends for hybrid solar cells

High-quality CdSe quantum dots (Qdots) were produced using the wet chemical synthetic method. These size-controlled CdSe Qdots were characterized by UV-vis absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), Xray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The XRD patterns and TEM images showed that the CdSe Qdots had a wurtzite crystalline structure. Bandgap-tuning CdSe Qdots were used to fabricate solar cells. We report the extensive experimental results of the CdSe Qdots-conjugated polymer composites used for the fabrication of the hybrid solar cells, by blending them between CdSe Qdots-poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and CdSe Qdots/[poly(l-methox y-4-(2-ethylhexyIoxy-2,5-phenylenevinylene))] (MEH-PPV) polymer. (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.