Optical properties of selenium nanoparticles dispersed in polymer

Nanoparticles of indirect gap semiconductor selenium dispersed in a polymer host are synthesized by the precipitation in a viscous polymer solution an d by subsequent evaporation of the solvent. Optical absorption and photolum inescence investigations are carried out on this system. Present investigat ions show a blue shift of the interband transition energies suggesting conf inement of charge carriers within the nanoparticles. The particle size is e stimated to be 43 Angstrom. The enhancement factor of the radiative recombi nation rate relative to that of a bulk monoclinic-Se film is estimated to b e of the order of 6. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.