Controlled spatial dispersion of CdSe tetrapod nanocrystals with amphiphilic block copolymer particles

Abstract

We report, for the first time, a nanoscale control of the spatial distribution of semiconducting tetrapod (TP) nanocrystals within block copolymer particles. Polystyrene (PS) block copolymer (BCP)/CdSe TP nanocrystal hybrid particles were prepared by the nanoprecipitation of TP/BCP mixtures into methanol. The BCPs consisted of short, polar terminal block bearing methyl disulfide anchoring moiety which serves both to bind to CdSe TP surfaces as well as to drive self-assembly during nanoprecipitation into polar solvent systems. The resulting BCP/TP hybrid particles showed various spatial distribution and the number density of TPs with respect to individual polymer particles depending on the degree of polymerization of the block copolymer as well as the nature of the solvent in which nanoprecipitation was done. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.