Hybrid particles based on low bandgap polymer by grafting technique : core@Shell ZnO nanorods for photovoltaic devices

Hussein Awada,  Antoine Bousquet,  Laurent Billon,  Christine Dagron-Lartigau
University of Pau


Abstract

At first the concerns in the conjugated polymer chemistry field were to conceive materials with improved control of electrical and optical properties and improved processability; in particular to synthesize soluble macromolecules. Another challenge is now to develop low band gap polymers, macromolecules able to harvest more photon than the classical poly(3-hexylthiophene (P3HT), for example. More recently some research group have turned their attention toward the possibility to graft conjugated polymer at the surface of inorganic, carbon (nanotube or graphene) and metallic substrates in order to create new electro-active materials. This presentation will deal with the elaboration of new hybrid core@shell nanoparticles. Different strategies have been developed by our group to covalently anchor conjugated polymers to metal oxide particles. After a brief overview of the state of the art, the elaboration and grafting of a functional P3HT onto ZnO nanorods will be detailed. Herein the “grafting onto” methodology has been applied with the synthesis of a triethoxysilane terminated polymer. Synthesis, characterization and electronic properties will be exposed. Then the first elaboration of core@shell nanoparticles containing a low band gap polymer will be presented. This time the “grafting through” methodology has been applied using A-A and B-B monomers. Influence of the polymerization time and the grafting density will be discussed.