Optical effects of the divalent functionalization of carbon nanotubes
Scientists have learned how to place crystalline defects in new materials with atomic-scale precision. This enables materials that can control excitons—energy carriers that are similar to subatomic particles. New research shows that, by precisely attaching specific chemical compounds to a carbon nanotube surface, scientists can create local energy wells that "capture" the excitons. The wells lower the excitons' energy state. This prevents the loss of their energy as heat and controls the color of the light that they emit.
