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Updated: Feb 9, 2026

In situ Photo-rheology Monitors Viscoelastic Changes in Photo-responsive Polymer Networks
Published on: June 20, 2025
Assembly of P3HT/CdSe nanowire networks in an insulating polymer host
Kyuyoung Heo1, Caroline Miesch, Jun-Hee Na
1Polymer Science and Engineering Department, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Massachusetts 01003, USA. hayward@umass.edu.
Abstract:
Nanoparticles may act as compatibilizing agents for blending of immiscible polymers, leading to changes in blend morphology through a variety of mechanisms including interfacial adsorption, aggregation, and nucleation of polymer crystals. Herein, we report an approach to define highly structured donor/acceptor networks based on poly(3-hexylthiophene) (P3HT) and CdSe quantum dots (QDs) by demixing from an insulating polystyrene (PS) matrix. The incorporation of QDs led to laterally phase-separated co-continuous structures with sub-micrometer dimensions, and promoted crystallization of P3HT, yielding highly interconnected P3HT/QD hybrid nanowires embedded in the polymer matrix. These nanohybrid materials formed by controlling phase separation, interfacial activity, and crystallization within ternary donor/acceptor/insulator blends, offer attractive morphologies for potential use in optoelectronics.
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