Photoproperties of Fullerenes and Carbon Nanotubes

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In this project, funded by the Experimental Physical Chemistry Program of the Chemistry Division, Weisman will extend his investigations to newly discovered compounds of C60 and oxygen in order to understand their light- and heat-induced reactions and structures. Experimental measurements will include reaction kinetics, excited state lifetimes and spectra, and luminescence efficiency and spectra. Further, extended studies will include fullerenes beyond C60 and C70, such as C84, which is found in several isomeric forms. A special higher fullerene is the elongated D5d isomer of C80. The photophysical properties of this compound will be studied to help understand the relation between properties of spheroidal fullerenes and single-walled carbon nanotubes. The recent detection and interpretation of near-infrared emission of nanotubes will be exploited in additional studies. These will address the energies, assignments, and line shapes of additional nanotube transitions, the magnitudes and species-dependencies of their fluorescence quantum yields, and other important characteristics of these systems. The broader impacts of these studies include potential applications to solar energy conversion, optical limiting, and photodynamic medical therapy, as well potential developments that lead to molecular-scale electronics and novel high strength materials.