Photoluminescence Blinking from Single CdSeS/ZnS Quantum Dots in a Conducting Polymer Matrix

Quantum dot nanocrystals (NQDs) present within organic conducting (polymer) host environments form hybrid organic–inorganic materials that are applied in a range of technologies such as light emitting diodes or solar cells. Understanding hole-transport and exciton dynamics in these hybrid materials is central to device performance and efficiency. Integral to hole-transport is the understanding of multiexciton processes such as charged excitons as well as neighbor–neighbor NQD interactions (on the nano and micrometer length scales). Studied here are the photoluminescence dynamics of single alloyed NQDs in conducting (or insulating) polymer environments. We find that conducting polymers (through hole transport) affect the presence and dynamics of charged excitons relative to insulating environments. The presence of such charged excitons induces a change in blinking dynamics with a corresponding increase in photoluminescence correlation between neighboring NQDs found using spatiotemporal statistical analysis. Understanding such phenomena advances the understanding of photoluminescence processes central to device design