Tuning photoresponsive and dielectric properties of PVA/CdSe films by capping agent change

Abstract In the present work, hybrid organic-inorganic nanocomposite films based on poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and CdSe quantum dots synthesized in aqueous medium were prepared without the use of organic solvents, by casting aqueous solutions of both PVA and nanoparticles. The effect of different capping agents employed during quantum dot synthesis on thermal, optical, and dielectric properties of nanocomposites was analyzed, finding that capping agents not only affect the interactions between nanoparticles and polymeric matrix, but also the size and photoluminescence of quantum dots, among other properties. Optical, thermal, dielectric and morphological characterization of nanocomposites has been carried out in terms of UV–vis spectroscopy, spectrofluorometry, thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dielectric relaxation spectroscopy (DRS) and atomic force microscopy, respectively, finding that by the use of different capping agents, final properties of nanocomposites can be tuned, as interactions between PVA and CdSe quantum dots determine their final properties.