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We report an optical investigation of conjugated polymer (P3HT)/fullerene (PCBM) semiconductor blends sensitized by near-infrared absorbing quantum dots (PbS QDs). A systematic series of samples that include pristine, binary and ternary blends of the materials are studied using steadystate absorption, photoluminescence (PL) and ultrafast transient absorption. Measurements show an enhancement of the absorption strength in the near-infrared upon QD incorporation. PL quenching of the polymer and the QD exciton emission is observed and predominantly attributed to intermaterial photoinduced charge transfer processes. Pump-probe experiments show photo-excitations to relax via an initial ultrafast decay while longer-lived photoinduced absorption is attributed to charge transfer exciton formation and found to depend on the relative ratio of QDs to P3HT:PCBM content. PL experiments and transient absorption measurements indicate that interfacial charge transfer processes occur more efficiently at the fullerene/polymer and fullerene/nanocrystal interfaces compared to polymer/nanocrystal interfaces. Thus the inclusion of the fullerene seems to facilitate exciton dissociation in such blends. The study discusses important and rather unexplored aspects of exciton recombination and charge transfer processes in ternary blend composites of organic semiconductors and near-infrared quantum dots for applications in solution-processed photodetectors and solar cells. © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim. 1 5 802 812 Cited By :56

PbS quantum dots (QDs) of different sizes capped with short (NH4)(3)AsS3 inorganic ligands are produced via ligand exchange processes from oleate-capped PbS QDs. The solid-state photophysical properties of the control organic-capped and the inorganic-ligand-capped QDs are investigated to determine their potential for optoelectronic applications. Ultrafast transient transmission shows that in the oleate-capped QDs, carrier recombination at sub-nanosecond scales occurs via Auger recombination, traps, and surface states. At longer times, intense signals associated with radiative recombination are obtained. After ligand exchange, the QDs become decorated with (NH4)(3)AsS3 complexes and relaxation is dominated by efficient carrier transfer to the ligand states on timescales as fast as approximate to 2 ps, which competes with carrier thermalization to the QD band edge states. Recombination channels present in the oleate-capped QDs, such as radiative and Auger recombination, appear quenched in the inorganic-capped QDs. Evidence of efficient carrier trapping at shallow ligand states, which appears more intense under excitation above the (NH4)(3)AsS3 gap, is provided. A detailed band diagram of the various relaxation and recombination processes is proposed that comprehensively describes the photophysics of the QD systems studied. 4 7 1301547 1301547 PT: J TC: 8 J9: ADV ENERGY MATER