Microscopic Model of the Optical Absorption of Carbon Nanotubes Functionalized with Molecular Spiropyran Photoswitches

E. Malic, C. Weber, M. Richter, V. Atalla, T. Klamroth, P. Saalfrank, S. Reich, and A. Knorr
Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 097401 – Published 1 March 2011

Abstract

The adsorption of molecules to the surface of carbon nanostructures opens a new field of hybrid systems with distinct and controllable properties. We present a microscopic study of the optical absorption in carbon nanotubes functionalized with molecular spiropyran photoswitches. The switching process induces a change in the dipole moment leading to a significant coupling to the charge carriers in the nanotube. As a result, the absorption spectra of functionalized tubes reveal a considerable redshift of transition energies depending on the switching state of the spiropyran molecule. Our results suggest that carbon nanotubes are excellent substrates for the optical readout of spiropyran-based molecular switches. The gained insights can be applied to other noncovalently functionalized one-dimensional nanostructures in an externally induced dipole field.

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  • Received 13 October 2010

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.106.097401

© 2011 American Physical Society

Authors & Affiliations

E. Malic1,*, C. Weber1, M. Richter2, V. Atalla3, T. Klamroth4, P. Saalfrank4, S. Reich5, and A. Knorr1

  • 1Institut für Theoretische Physik, Technische Universität Berlin, 10623 Berlin, Germany
  • 2Department of Chemistry, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California 92697-2025, USA
  • 3Fritz-Haber-Institut der Max-Planck-Gesellschaft, Faradayweg 4-6, 14195 Berlin, Germany
  • 4Institut für Chemie, Universität Potsdam, Karl-Liebknecht-Strasse 24-25, 14476 Potsdam-Golm, Germany
  • 5Fachbereich Physik, Freie Universität Berlin, 14195 Berlin, Germany

  • *ermin.malic@tu-berlin.de

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Vol. 106, Iss. 9 — 4 March 2011

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