2025/01/14 by Somen Nandi, Quentin Gresil, Nandi, Somen +28 · 1 voice · 1 citation
Chemistry · Engineering · Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Carbon Nanotubes in Composites #FOS: Physical sciences #Fullerene Chemistry and Applications #Graphene and Nanomaterials Applications #Materials Science (cond-mat.mtrl-sci) #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) #Optics (physics.optics) #cond-mat.mes-hall #cond-mat.mtrl-sci #physics.optics
paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2501.08254
openalex publication_date 2025/01/14 · arxiv published 2025/01/14 · openalex created_date 2025/01/17 · arxiv updated 2025/05/06 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/03
In the fields of bioimaging, photonics, and quantum science, it is equally crucial to combine high brightness with nanoscale size in short-wave infrared (SWIR) emitters. However, such nano-emitters are currently lacking. Here, we report that when functionalized with luminescent color centers, ultrashort carbon nanotubes with length much shorter than 100 nm, are surprisingly bright in the near-infrared second-biological window (NIR-II) of the SWIR domain. We discuss the origin of this exceptional brightness based on the uncontrollable presence of quenching defects in dispersed carbon nanotubes. We further investigate the nonlinear photoluminescence behavior of color centers functionalized carbon nanotubes in response to varying excitation conditions, spanning from ensemble measurements to single-nanotube experiments. We discuss how this behavior influences the determination of their photoluminescence quantum yields, which can reach values as high as 20% for ultrashort ones detected at the single nanotube level. Notably, the corresponding NIR-II brightness exceeds that of well-known visible emitters, including quantum dots. After rendering them biocompatible, we demonstrate point-spread function engineering and high-resolution, 3-dimensional single-particle tracking using these bright ultrashort carbon nanotubes allowing nanoscale imaging in the NIR-II window within thick brain tissue.