Inorganic/Organic Nanocomposites

Paul Alivisatos, Program Leader
Jean M.J. Frechet, Peidong Yang, Miquel Salmeron, Ting Xu and Lin-Wang Wang, co-P.I.s

This activity is directed towards the study of organic/inorganic nanocomposite materials, and particularly the behavior at their interfaces, with a focus towards materials that form composite solar cells. The goal is to design new functional materials that can be produced by parallel and hierarchical self-assembly. We seek to develop all wet chemical processes to produce organic/inorganic composite solar cells.

This broad-based program takes advantage of local expertise in the production of nanoscale building blocks, namely inorganic nanocrystals, nanorods, solution-grown nanowires, nanotubes, as well as organic amphiphiles and polymers (linear, branched, and dendritic).

Colloidal nanocrystal heterostructures – branched, rods, dots; Nanowire/polymer composite film; GaN/GaP core/shell nanowires.

CURRENT PROJECTS

• Development of nanoparticles of electroactive polymers for sol gel hybrid solar cells and polymer surfactants for the ordered assembly of dual p,n nanocrystals (P. Alivisatos, J.M.J.Frechet)

• Development of nanoporous organic inorganic co-continuous networks (P. Alivisatos, J.M.J. Frechet)

• Development of novel electroactive assemblies of nanotubes (SWCNT, BN and BCN) and polymers (J.M.J. Frechet,M. Salmeron)

• Investigation of nanowire surface functionalization and optimization of nanowire-polymer interface and conversion efficiency (P. Yang, J. Frechet)

• Development of optically active nanowire arrays with optimal bandgap through alloying/doping and core-sheath nanostructuring. (P. Yang, P. Alivisatos, L-W. Wang)

• Investigation of inorganic (oxide) semiconductor nanowire solar cells using sol-gel chemistry or quantum dots. (P. Alivisatos, P. Yang)

• Calculational studies (L-W. Wang)
  —the atomic structure and electronic properties of organic/inorganic interfaces, and charge transfer across interface.
  —surface passivation and binding of quantum dots with organic molecules.
  —exciton binding and charge separation in nanosystems.
  —surface states in nanowires and rods.
  —semiconductor/metal electrode nanocontact.
  —electron charging and its relationship to electronic transport