Hybrid Poly(3-Hexylthiophene)/CdSe Nanowires via Co-crystallization

We report the formation of hybrid nanowires of crystalline regioregular poly(3-hexyl thiophene) (P3HT) lined with cadmium selenide (CdSe) nanorods bearing P3HT ligands. Transmission electron microscopy reveals that the nanorods preferentially orient parallel to, and flank the sides of, the fibers, consistent with composite wire formation by co-crystallization of P3HT ligands with freely soluble P3HT upon addition of a marginal solvent to a solution of both species. We anticipate that this co-crystallization approach to organization of conjugated polymers and semiconducting nanostructures into crystalline composites will offer new opportunities for the design of optoelectronic devices.