Nanoplasmonic Colloidal Suspensions for the Enhancement of the Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes Luminescent Emission

Abstract

Aiming to enhance the luminescence yield of carbon nanotubes, we introduce a new class of hybrid nanoplasmonic colloidal systems (π-hybrids). Nanotubes dispersed in gold nanorod colloidal suspensions yield hybrid structures exhibiting enhanced luminescence up to a factor of 20. The novelty of the proposed enhancement mechanism relies on including metal proximity effects in addition to its localized surface plasmons. This simple, robust and flexible technique enhances the luminescence of nanotubes with chiralities whose enhancement has never reported before, for example the (8,4) tube.