Fabrication of quantum dot-polymer composites and their electroanalytical applications

In recent years, we have witnessed an increasing rate of research interest for the polymers that are highly efficient, eco-friendly, and cost-effective materials which also possess multiple physical properties such as conductivity, optical properties, mechanical stability, and surface defect-free films. Quantum dot (QD) and polymer composites exhibit intriguing electronic transitions that resemble single atom behavior because these type of polymers can be coupled with QDs, which are nanocrystals made of semiconductors. QDs are widely used in the fields of analytical chemistry, bioanalysis, and optoelectronics due to their unique, size-tunable electronic, and optical properties. The studies of nanocomposites associated with QDs and polymers, in general, use the QD nanocrystals as the energy donor, and the polymers molecules as acceptors. Electrochemical methods based on QDs/polymers nanocomposites provide significant detection methods that are sensitive, rapid, and low cost. In this chapter, we mainly focus and concentrate on the methods using nanocomposites based on QDs and different types of polymers such as conducting and molecularly imprinted polymers. Using QDs and different types of polymers, electrochemical sensors for different compounds detection and determination of pharmaceuticals, biological samples, and environmental samples are generated. The information about the structures of polymers and examples for the applications of QDs/polymer nanocomposite in the fields of diagnostics and bioanalytics are also summarized in this chapter.