Structure-Dependent Fluorescence Efficiencies of Individual Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

TL;DR

This study measures the fluorescence efficiencies of individual semiconducting single-walled carbon nanotubes, revealing how their structure influences fluorescence and providing calibration methods for quantitative analysis.

Contribution

It introduces empirical calibration factors and quantifies fluorescence efficiencies for various (n,m) nanotube species, advancing understanding of their structure-dependent photophysical properties.

Findings

Fluorescence efficiencies range from 1.7 to 4.5 x 10^(-19) cm^2/C atom.

Quantum yields can reach approximately 8% for certain species.

Fluorescence increases with optical band gap as per the energy gap law.

Abstract

Single-nanotube photometry was used to measure the product of absorption cross-section and fluorescence quantum yield for 12 (n,m) structural species of semiconducting SWNTs in aqueous SDBS suspension. These products ranged from 1.7 to 4.5 x 10(-19) cm2/C atom, generally increasing with optical band gap as described by the energy gap law. The findings suggest fluorescent quantum yields of ~8% for the brightest, (10,2) species and introduce the empirical calibration factors needed to deduce quantitative (n,m) distributions from bulk fluorimetric intensities.