Self-assembled dense colloidal Cu2Te nanodisk networks in P3HT thin films with enhanced photocurrent

Abstract

The integration of colloidal nanocrystals with polymers adds optoelectronic functionalities to flexible and mechanically robust organic films. In particular, self-assembled structures of nanocrystals in polymers can act as functional components enhancing, for instance, transport or optical properties of the hybrid material. This study presents Cu2Te hexagonal nanodisks that assemble into ribbons with a face-to-face configuration in poly(3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) through a controlled solvent evaporation process. The ribbons form weaving patterns that create 3D networks fully embedded in the thin polymer film at high nanodisk concentration. The photoresponse of these composite films measured in a layered vertical geometry demonstrates increased photocurrent with increasing nanocrystal loading. This study attributes this behavior to the presence of networks of Cu2Te nanodisks that form a bulk heterojunction with the semiconducting polymer, which improves exciton dissociation and the overall photoelectric response