Synthesis of size-controlled CdSe quantum dots and characterization of CdSe–conjugated polymer blends for hybrid solar cells

High-quality CdSe quantum dots (Qdots) were produced using the wet chemical synthetic method. These size-controlled CdSe Qdots were characterized by UV–vis absorption spectroscopy, photoluminescence (PL) spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The XRD patterns and TEM images showed that the CdSe Qdots had a wurtzite crystalline structure. Bandgap-tuning CdSe Qdots were used to fabricate solar cells. We report the extensive experimental results of the CdSe Qdots–conjugated polymer composites used for the fabrication of the hybrid solar cells, by blending them between CdSe Qdots–poly (3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and CdSe Qdots/[poly(1-methoxy-4-(2-ethylhexyloxy-2,5-phenylenevinylene))] (MEH-PPV) polymer.