Quantum Dots/Polymer Composites

Quantum dots (QD) are semiconductor nanoparticles which exhibit exciting quantum mechanical properties at a macro scale, such that they are often touted as the “macroscopic atoms”. However, owing to their sizes, real world applications often need to cast them in a bulk object or anchor them to a substrate. Most common approaches include casting as a film or making composites. In this chapter we will discuss one such approach of casting the QD in a polymer matrix. This approach is flexible, easy to synthesize, and provides exceedingly useful applications in the field of analytical chemistry, photoluminescent materials, catalysis, and biologically useful materials.