Molecular Assembly by Sequential Ionic Adsorption of Nanocrystalline TiO₂ and a Conjugated Polymer

Abstract

Cationic nanocrystalline TiO₂ particles have been synthesized for which the size and composition of the nanoparticles were analyzed by a transmission emission microscopy and energy dispersive x‐ray spectrometer (EDXS). Multilayered films have been fabricated by sequential adsorption of TiO₂ nanoparticles and poly(3‐thiophene acetic acid) (PTAA). Each layer of the nanoparticles and PTAA in the thin film has also been characterized by x‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, and UV‐visible spectroscopy. These types of multilayered nanocomposite films may find applications in the fabrication of efficient light harvesting photovoltaic cells.

^#Dedicated to the memory of Professor Sukant K. Tripathy (deceased).

Keywords:

• PTAA
• TiO₂
• Molecular assembly
• ELBL
• Multilayered nanocomposite
• Conjugated polymer
• Nanoparticle

Acknowledgment

We thank Drs. Ravi Mosurkal and A. K. Jain for helpful discussions and corrections in the paper. The late Professor Sukant K. Tripathy is remembered for his great inspiration to this work.

Notes

^#Dedicated to the memory of Professor Sukant K. Tripathy (deceased).