Optical Limiting Properties of Suspended and Solubilized Carbon Nanotubes

Abstract

Full and shortened single-walled and multiple-walled carbon nanotubes were suspended in water to form stable suspensions in the presence of a surfactant. Optical limiting properties of the suspensions were determined for 532-nm pulsed laser irradiation, and the results were comparable with those of carbon black aqueous suspension. Solubilization of the shortened carbon nanotubes was achieved by attaching the nanotubes to highly soluble poly(propionylethylenimine-co-ethylenimine) or by functionalizing the nanotubes with octadecylamine. The soluble carbon nanotube samples formed homogeneous solutions in room-temperature chloroform. Optical limiting properties of these solutions were also determined for 532-nm pulsed laser irradiation, and the results were found to be quite different from those of the carbon nanotube aqueous suspensions. Apparently, the carbon nanotubes exhibit significantly weaker optical limiting responses in homogeneous solutions than in suspensions. Mechanistic implications of the experimental results are discussed.

Ceramic matrix composites containing carbon nanotubes

“…CNTs have been shown to be broadband optical limiters, efficient at both 532 and 1064nm laser wavelength in solutions 15,145 and polymer composites 146 . Although theoretical calculations show that…”

Anisotropic Third-Order Optical Nonlinearity of a single ZnO Micro/Nanowire

“…n recent years, the nonlinear optical properties of nanomaterials, such as second-and third-harmonic generation (SHG and THG, respectively) effects and two-photon absorption (TPA) effect, 1−14 have attracted much interest due to their potential applications in high-speed information processing, 1−5 nanolasers, 6 optical limiters, 7 and all-optical switching. 8,9 In particular, there has been great interest in the TPA effect of the nanomaterials because of their advantage in imaging 10,11 and nanolaser pumping.…”

Shortened single-walled nanotubes functionalized with poly(ethylene glycol): preparation and properties

“…52 The hypothesis that the dominant mechanism of limitation is different for the suspension and for the solubilized NTs and that, particularly for the latter, there is a dominant excited state absorption, was already suggested by Sun and coworkers. 22 Further investigations are however needed to confirm the above hypothesis. It is worth mentioning, moreover, that the suspensions of pristine SWNTs were very unstable when irradiated with highenergy laser pulses.…”

“…[18][19][20][21] A variety of soluble sh-SWNT derivatives have been prepared using this method also by other groups. [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] The functionalization of pristine SWNTs with fluorine, alkanes, nitrenes, carbenes, radicals species and diazonium compounds was effective since relatively soluble materials could be obtained. 39,40 Recently, Prato and coworkers successfully applied the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azomethine ylides for the organic functionalization of pristine SWNTs and MWNTs which has led to a high level of solubility of the resulting products.…”