1D and 0D nanocrystals


Description / Outline

We investigate low-dimensional crystals, in particular carbon nanotubes (1D) and semiconductor nanoparticles (0D). Carbon nanotubes (CNT) are 1D carbon nanostructures, which can be viewed as graphene sheets rolled into a cylinder. Their properties depend critically on the atomic arrangement: even with similar diameter, CNT can be semiconducting or metallic, depending on the helical angle [given by the chiral index (n,m)]. Resonance Raman spectroscopy is a very elegant method to identify the chiral index of CNT. Currently, we are interested in the optical and electronic properties of covalently and non-covalently functionalized carbon nanotubes, in particular on the level of individual (n,m)-identified CNT. Semiconductor nanoparticles show strong dependence of their optical transitions on overall size and shape, as well as on the interfaces in core-shell structures. Here, current research questions address strain and alloying in core-shell nanoparticles.

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