Zaumseil Group - Research Sorting and Functionalization of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) can be viewed as rolled-up sheets of graphene with the roll-up vector (length and angle) determining their unique optical and electronic properties. We focus on new methods to disperse, select and sort specific semiconducting SWCNTs from the broad mix that is produced during nanotube growth. To further improve their near-infrared emission, we develop novel functionalization reactions to introduce a controlled number of luminescent quantum defects and apply advanced spectroscopic methods to understand their intrinsic properties. These quantum defects make nanotubes much brighter such that they can be applied as single-photon emitters, for optical sensing and bio-imaging in the NIR-II window.