Structural morphological and optical properties of P3HT/CdSe/WS2 ternary polymer composites for hybrid organic/inorganic photovoltaics

The development of complete organic/inorganic hybrid solar cells (HOSCs) is strictly related to the achievement of appealing electrical performances. In this context, the optimization of device architectures and of the active material's structural and morphological properties is crucial. In this work, such highly critical issues are addressed for a novel hybrid nanocomposite: tungsten disulfide nanotubes (WS2 NTs) and cadmium selenide quantum dots (CdSe QDs) embedded into a Poly (3-hexylthiophene-2,5-diyl) (P3HT) polymeric matrix. Both binary and ternary compounds are produced and investigated by means of an unconventional energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction technique combined with atomic force microscopy and Raman spectroscopy. Additionally, the effects of low-temperature thermal treatments on the nanocomposite's structure and morphology are disclosed, unraveling their connection of these features to the optical response of the materials, investigated by UV-Vis spectroscopy. Promising results are obtained in terms of enhanced crystallinity, phase separation, and the possibility of decorating the WS2 NTs with CdSe dots is demonstrated, opening new perspectives for further development of complete HOSCs based on this innovative ternary system.