Fluorescence in nanostructured fulleride films

• Published in: Applied physics letters Vol. 89; no. 20; pp. 203102 - 203102-3
• Main Authors: Lobo, R. F. M., Costa, M. S., Ribeiro, J. H. F., Sequeira, C. A. C., Pereira, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: American Institute of Physics 13-11-2006
• ISSN: 0003-6951; 1077-3118
• DOI: 10.1063/1.2388245

Nanostructuring of fullerene
C
60
beam deposited films is achieved by electrochemical reduction in a potassium hydroxide aqueous solution. Alkali fulleride clusters are formed at the electrode, as it is illustrated by cyclic voltammetry, x-ray diffraction, and scanning tunneling microscopy. Fluorescence emission from fluorophore doped fullerene reduced films was investigated by fluorescence spectroscopy and scanning near-field optical microscopy. These techniques lead to results which also fit such nanometer-sized fulleride cluster interpretation. In particular, the fluorophore fluorescence lifetime decreases as long as aggregation in the film is more effective, which occurs with the increase of film thickness.