In situ preparation of graphene oxide–CdTe nanocomposites with interesting optical properties

We report the in situ synthesis and interesting optical properties of graphene oxide–CdTe (GO–CdTe) nanocomposites, as well as their potential application in solar cells. By doping GO during the synthesis process of CdTe quantum dots (QDs), the as-prepared GO–CdTe nanocomposites have layered structure and CdTe QDs are well preserved on the layer with uniform distribution and no aggregation. The effects of different experimental conditions on the optical properties of GO–CdTe nanocomposite are investigated. Interestingly, the colors of GO–CdTe nanocomposite solutions under daylight are similar to their fluorescence color observed under ultraviolet (UV) light, distinct from those of pure CdTe QDs and GO/CdTe nanocomposites prepared by direct mixing of GO and CdTe QDs. In addition, we demonstrate the application of GO–CdTe nanocomposites for sensitized solar cells, which show enhanced photoelectric performance. Our findings may provide new insight into optical properties of QDs coupled with carbon nanomaterials.