Effects of surface modification on the fluorescence properties of conjugated polymer/ZnO nanocomposites

We report the effects of surface modification on the fluorescence properties of conjugated polymer/zinc oxide nanocomposites. Zinc oxide nanoparticle surface was partially capped by poly(vinylpyrolidone) (PVP) during hydrolysis of zinc acetate dihydrate in methanol in ambient condition. The ZnO-capped nanoparticles were characterized by XRD and TEM. The fluorescence properties of poly[2-methoxy-5-(2-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MEH-PPV)/ZnO nanocomposites with different mass ratios were studied by steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopy. The results indicate that the surface-modified ZnO nanoparticles are more effective to quench the emission of MEH-PPV by charge transfer process than the non-capped ZnO. The more effective charge transfer in MEH-PPV/ZnO-capped is attributed to the better dispersion of the nanoparticles in MEH-PPV matrix and THF solvent.