Cadmium selenide, and other quantum dot materials, can be integrated into thin films of poly(para-phenylene vinylene) (PPV) or other polymer compounds without aggregation of the nanocrystals. Solid-state photoluminescence spectra of composite materials prepared by these novel techniques reveal the effect of this greatly enhanced quantum dot-polymer interface relative to cases where the nanoparticles are aggregated, such that electronic communication and energy transfer between the nanoparticle and polymer components is made more efficient.