Semiconductor nanoparticles environmental applications

Abstract Semiconductor nanoparticles have attracted much attention due to their unique size and properties. Semiconductor-polymer hybrid materials are of great importance in the field of nanoscience as they combine the advantageous properties of polymers with the unique size-tunable optical, electronic, catalytic and other properties of semiconductor nanoparticles. Due to combination of the unique properties of organic and inorganic components in one material, these semiconductor-polymer hybrids find application in environmental, optoelectronic, biomedical and various other fields. A number of methods are available for the synthesis of semiconductor-polymer hybrid materials. Two methods, i.e. melt blending and in-situ polymerization, are widely used for the synthesis of semiconductor-polymer nanocomposites. The first part of this review article deals with the synthesis, properties and applications of semiconductor nanoparticles. The second part deals with the synthesis of semiconductor-polymer nanocomposites by melt blending and in-situ polymerization. The properties and some applications of semiconductor-polymer nanocomposites are also discussed. 

Keywords Biomedical applications Electionic applications Environmental applications Polymer nanocomposites Quantum dots Semiconductor nanoparticles... 

Semiconductor-polymer hybrids are an important class of materials because of their combined properties of polymers and semiconductor nanoparticles. A number of methods are available for the synthesis of semiconductor-polymer hybrids from semiconductor nanoparticles, such as melt blending and in-situ polymerization. Semiconductor-polymer hybrids find applications in environmental, optoelectronic, biomedical and various other fields. 

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