(738d) Materials for Exploring New Electronic and Optical Behaviors in SWCNT Systems

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have unique mechanical, electronic, and optical properties which make them an ideal material for optoelectronics, nanophotonics, and sensing applications. However, development of SWCNT mesomaterials for optoelectronics and nanophotonics has been especially challenging due to the high sensitivity of the optical and electronic properties to environmental interactions. I’ll present an innovative approach developed at LANL by our team to obtain highly fluorescent SWCNT-mesocomposites. Here we report a general route to prepare silica gels, films, and monolithic nanocomposites doped with individual surfactant stabilized SWNTs with optimum photoluminescence (PL) properties. The approach provides a rationale for tailoring SWCNT photophysical response via interfacial chemistry. I will also show some results on sensing and energy transfer processes obtained using our mesomaterials.

These unique solid platforms of fluorescent SWCNTs will enable ultrasensitive optical sensors and optoelectronics devices as well as basic research in areas like low temperature exciton dynamics, exciton-phonon coupling, and energy transfer for photovoltaic applications.