Photoluminescence characteristics for hybrid nanotubes of light emitting poly(3-methylthiophene) coated with copper: fluorescence effect.
The enhanced nanometer-scale photoluminescence (PL) and quantum yield of hybrid double layered nanotubes (HDLNTs) consisting of a light-emitting poly(3-methylthiophene) (P3MT) nanotube coated with nanometer-scale copper (Cu) metal were observed and presented. The HDLNTs of the Cu coated P3MT (P3MT/Cu) were synthesized through a sequential electrochemical synthetic method in an anodic alumina oxide (Al2O3) nanoporous template. We confirmed that the Cu nanotubes were covered outside the light emitting P3MT nanotubes based a high resolution transmission electron microscope image. From laser confocal microscope (LCM) PL experiments of an isolated single strand of the P3MT nanotubes and of their HDLNTs, we observed a -100 times enhancement of the PL peak intensity for the HDLNTs of P3MT/Cu compared to that of the P3MT single nanotube, which was qualitatively confirmed through the measurement of the quantum yield. The energy and/or charge transfer effects in surface plasmon resonance contributed to the larger enhancement of the PL efficiency of the hybrid P3MT/Cu nanotubes. The PL decay life-time of the excitons of the P3MT nanotubes using a time resolved PL was not changed after the formation of the HDLNTs, implying that the PL enhancement of the hybrid nanotubes might have originated from fluorescence, not phosphorescence.
Park
Dong Hyuk
DH
Department of Physics and Hybrid Nanostructure Laboratory, Korea University, Seoul 136-713, Korea.
Jeong
Mi-Yun
MY
Kim
Mikyung
M
Cho
Eun Hei
EH
Kim
Dae-Chul
DC
Song
Hugeun
H
Kim
Jeongyong
J
Shim
Tae Kyu
TK
Kim
Doseok
D
Joo
Jinsoo
J