Excitation energy transfer from a fluorophore to single-walled carbon nanotubes

Swathi, RS and Sebastian, KL (2010) Excitation energy transfer from a fluorophore to single-walled carbon nanotubes. In: Journal of Chemical Physics, The, 132 (10).

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Abstract

We study the process of electronic excitation energy transfer from a fluorophore to the electronic energy levels of a single-walled carbon nanotube. The matrix element for the energy transfer involves the Coulombic interaction between the transition densities on the donor and the acceptor. In the Foumlrster approach, this is approximated as the interaction between the corresponding transition dipoles. For energy transfer from a dye to a nanotube, one can use the dipole approximation for the dye, but not for the nanotube. We have therefore calculated the rate using an approach that avoids the dipole approximation for the nanotube. We find that for the metallic nanotubes, the rate has an exponential dependence if the energy that is to be transferred, h is less than a threshold and a d(-5) dependence otherwise. The threshold is the minimum energy required for a transition other than the k(i,perpendicular to)=0 and l=0 transition. Our numerical evaluation of the rate of energy transfer from the dye pyrene to a (5,5) carbon nanotube, which is metallic leads to a distance of similar to 165 A degrees up to which energy transfer is appreciable. For the case of transfer to semiconducting carbon nanotubes, apart from the process of transfer to the electronic energy levels within the one electron picture, we also consider the possibility of energy transfer to the lowest possible excitonic state. Transfer to semiconducting carbon nanotubes is possible only if>=epsilon(g)-epsilon(b). The long range behavior of the rate of transfer has been found to have a d(-5) dependence if h >=epsilon(g). But, when the emission energy of the fluorophore is in the range epsilon(g)>h >=epsilon(g)-epsilon(b), the rate has an exponential dependence on the distance. For the case of transfer from pyrene to the semiconducting (6,4) carbon nanotube, energy transfer is found to be appreciable up to a distance of similar to 175 A degrees.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Journal of Chemical Physics, The
Publisher:	American Institute of Physics
Additional Information:	Copyright of this article belongs to American Institute of Physics.
Keywords:	carbon nanotubes;dyes;excited states;excitons;semiconductor nanotubes
Department/Centre:	Division of Chemical Sciences > Inorganic & Physical Chemistry
Date Deposited:	10 Jun 2010 05:28
Last Modified:	19 Sep 2010 05:59
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/27031

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