Enhanced ambient retention in CdSe/ZnS quantum dot-PVK WORM memories through antioxidant additive engineering

Colloidal CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (QDs) embedded in poly(N-vinylcarbazole) (PVK) enable solution-processed write-once–read-many (WORM) memories, but their retention is limited by surface oxidation. Here, the hindered-phenol antioxidant butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT) is incorporated into QD dispersions prior to PVK blending. Devices with an indium–tin–oxide (ITO)/QDs-PVK/Al structure exhibit stable WORM switching, while optimal BHT loading (1.0×) improves the remaining ON-state retention from 11% to 61% after 96 h. Fourier-transform infrared (FT-IR) shows no new absorption bands, supporting non-covalent coexistence. The radical-scavenging action of BHT suppresses oxidation-induced traps, offering a simple, processing-compatible route to durable hybrid QD–polymer WORM devices.