Physical Chemistry Seminar

Date
Wed, Nov 15, 2017 11:00 am - 12:00 pm
Location
Chemistry 0112 (Marker Seminar Room)

Description

Speaker: R. Bruce Weisman, Department of Chemistry, Rice University, Houston, Texas

Title: Fluorescence of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: From Discovery to Applications

Abstract:Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) are a family of artificial nanostructures with unique physical and chemical properties that have inspired extensive basic and applied research. Most structures of SWCNTs are semiconducting and show direct band gap photoluminescence (fluorescence) at characteristic wavelengths in the short-wave infrared. Each structural form of SWCNT displays a characteristic spectral signature that provides a powerful basis for qualitative identification and quantitative analysis. Fluorescence from SWCNTs is also very robust, allowing steady emission during long periods of intense irradiation. This enables individual SWCNTs to be imaged and studied in a variety of environments, including liquid suspensions, polymeric hosts, and biological tissues. The discovery and spectral assignment of SWCNT short-wave infrared fluorescence will be described. Examples will then be presented showing how this effect has led to improved sample characterization, studies of photophysical properties and phenomena, and emerging applications in biomedicine and engineering.