The presented synthetic strategy allows a good control of NC size and distribution within the polymer matrix as required for the application in photovoltaic cells. Conclusions An in situ synthetic route for the realization of hybrid polymer/nanocomposite materials was presented. We demonstrated that the soluble metal thiolate derivative [Cd(SBz)2]2·MI, obtained using 1-methylimidazole as cadmium ligand, is a suitable starting material

to grow CdS NCs in semiconducting polymeric matrices. We found that the precursor decomposition and the subsequent NCs nucleation and growth start at temperatures below 200°C, namely already at 175°C and in relatively short time (30min), the temperature lowering being crucial for avoiding possible damage or deterioration of the matrix. Such a result allows extending the range of suitable matrices to thermally soft polymers such as MEH-PPV towards the fabrication of organic–inorganic nanocomposite materials Pirfenidone for optoelectronics and light harvesting. The structure of [Cd(SBz)2]2·MI also helps in obtaining a homogeneous

spatial dispersion of the molecule itself inside the polymer promoting the formation of a highly uniform network and well-dispersed NCs. The weight ratio of the precursor to the polymer directly determines the number density of the NCs as well as the coverage uniformity, the optimal value being 2:3. The synthetic route this website did not significantly alter the polymer resistance to deformation, further demonstrating the applicability in the field of large-area, flexible, low-cost solar cells production via spinning or soft moulding lithography. Acknowledgements This work was supported by the Regione Puglia (Bari, Italy) – Project PONAMAT (PS_016). References 1. Wang D: Semiconductor nanocrystal-polymer composites: using polymers for nanocrystal processing. In Semiconductor nanocrystal quantum dots. Edited by: Rogach AL. New

York: Springer; 2008:170–196. 2. Neves AAR, Nintedanib (BIBF 1120) Camposeo A, Cingolani R, Pisignano D: Interaction scheme and temperature behavior of energy transfer in light-emitting inorganic–organic composite system. Adv Funct Mater 2008, 18:751–757.CrossRef 3. Tamborra M, Striccoli M, Comparelli R, Curri ML, Petrella A, Agostiano A: Optical properties of hybrid composites based on highly luminescent CdS nanocrystals in polymer. Nanotechnology 2004, 15:S240-S244.CrossRef 4. Garcia M, van Vliet G, Jain S, Schrauwen BAG, Sarkissov A, van Zyl WE, Boukamp B: Polypropylene/SiO 2 nanocomposites with improved mechanical properties. Rev Adv Mater Sci 2004, 6:169–175. 5. Novak BM: Hybrid nanocomposite materials between inorganic glasses and organic polymer. Adv Mater 1993, 5:422–433.CrossRef 6. Colvin VL, Schlamp MC, Alivisatos AP: Light-emitting diodes made from cadmium selenide nanocrystals and a semiconducting polymer. Nature 1994, 370:354–357.CrossRef 7.