Optical Properties of Graphene Nanoribbons Encapsulated in Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

• Published in: ACS nano Vol. 7; no. 7; pp. 6346 - 6353
• Main Authors: Chernov, Alexander I, Fedotov, Pavel V, Talyzin, Alexandr V, Suarez Lopez, Inma, Anoshkin, Ilya V, Nasibulin, Albert G, Kauppinen, Esko I, Obraztsova, Elena D
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 23-07-2013
• Subjects: coronene; Encapsulation; Excitation; Graphene; graphene nanoribbons; Graphite - chemistry; Graphite - radiation effects; Light; Luminescent Measurements - methods; Materials Testing; materiefysik; Nanostructure; Nanotubes, Carbon - chemistry; Nanotubes, Carbon - radiation effects; Nanotubes, Carbon - ultrastructure; Photoluminescence; Physics Of Matter; Polymerization; Scattering, Radiation; Single wall carbon nanotubes; single-walled carbon nanotubes; Spectra; Spectral emissivity; photoluminescence; graphene nanoribbons; single-walled carbon nanotubes; coronene; one-dimensional graphene structure
• ISSN: 1936-0851; 1936-086X; 1936-086X
• DOI: 10.1021/nn4024152

We report the photoluminescence (PL) from graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) encapsulated in single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). New PL spectral features originating from GNRs have been detected in the visible spectral range. PL peaks from GNRs have resonant character, and their positions depend on the ribbon geometrical structure in accordance with the theoretical predictions. GNRs were synthesized using confined polymerization and fusion of coronene molecules. GNR@SWCNTs material demonstrates a bright photoluminescence both in infrared (IR) and visible regions. The photoluminescence excitation mapping in the near-IR spectral range has revealed the geometry-dependent shifts of the SWCNT peaks (up to 11 meV in excitation and emission) after the process of polymerization of coronene molecules inside the nanotubes. This behavior has been attributed to the strain of SWCNTs induced by insertion of the coronene molecules.