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Spatially resolved photoluminescence brightening in individual single-walled carbon nanotubes

Journal Article · · Journal of Applied Physics
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0030951· OSTI ID:1849677
 [1];  [2];  [3]
  1. Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)
  2. Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Dept. of Chemistry
  3. Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States). Dept. of Chemistry. The Inst. of Optics

Single-molecule microscopy was used to image photoluminescence (PL) brightening of individual sodium-dodecyl-sulfate (SDS)-wrapped single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) upon the addition of dithiothreitol (DTT). PL enhancement varied for each nanotube (NT), with some brightening by 16% and others by a factor of about 7. Interestingly, NTs that displayed lower initial QY values showed the largest increases in PL enhancement. SDS-SWCNTs longer than the diffraction limit were studied in order to spatially resolve the brightening phenomenon. Quite unexpectedly, a uniform, single-step PL brightening along the NT was consistently observed, suggesting that the PL enhancement is the result of a non-localized process. Furthermore, the even PL brightening seen over SWCNTs that are micrometers long implies that single point defect sites, which are known to be largely responsible for exciton nonradiative decay, play no significant role in the brightening process. Interestingly, affixing the SWCNT strongly to the substrate surface mitigated the PL brightening response, consistent with a hypothesis that surfactant reorganization upon the addition of DTT is responsible for exciton PL brightening.

Research Organization:
Univ. of Rochester, NY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Chemical Sciences, Geosciences & Biosciences Division; National Science Foundation (NSF)
Grant/Contract Number:
FG02-06ER15821
OSTI ID:
1849677
Alternate ID(s):
OSTI ID: 1755783
Journal Information:
Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 129; ISSN 0021-8979
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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