Directing assembly of semiconductor colloidal quantum dots with short-chain amphiphilic block copolymers

Block copolymers are promising agents for controlling the assembly of photonic materials. In particular, low molecular weight copolymers may allow for nanoscale spacing of nanoparticles and molecules, a requirement for engineering inter-particle interactions. Recent studies show that short-chain amphiphilic block copolymers can direct assembly of chromophores into photonic systems that exhibit energy transfer [2,3]. We explore the utility of similar block copolymers to arrange another photonic nanomaterial: semiconductor “giant” colloidal quantum dots [4]. By exploiting hydrophobic effects, quantum dots are driven into the hydrophobic core of extended micelles, solubilizing the nanoparticles in water. The length and type of hydrophobic and hydrophilic polymer blocks tune the structures of these polymer-nanoparticle hybrid structures. We show that this polymer-mediated control of quantum dot assembly also tunes the photophysics of the quantum dots.
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[4] Y. Chen, et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 130, 5026 (2008).