Förster energy transfer from blue-emitting polymers to colloidal CdSe/ZnS core shell quantum dots

We have studied the interactions in the solid phase between a blue-light-emitting organic conjugated polymer {poly[(9,9-dihexylfluorenyl-2,7- diyl)-alt-co-(9,ethyl-3,6-carbazole)]} and colloidal CdSe/ZnS core shell quantum dots. We demonstrate by time resolved photoluminescence measurements that efficient Förster energy transfer takes place from the polymer acting as the donor and the CdSe/ZnS dots, acting as the acceptors. A Förster radius of about 80 ± 15 A is extracted from the analysis of the relaxation dynamics based on the solution of the donor-acceptor coupled rate equations. This value is in good agreement with the value extracted from the steady state spectra and indicates that efficient energy tranfer from a polymeric host to a nanocrystal guest can occur. Our results are relevant to the application of hybrid organic/inorganic systems to light-emitting devices. © 2004 American Institute of Physics.