Carbon nanotubes with covalently linked porphyrin antennae: photoinduced electron transfer

Durairaj Baskaran; Jimmy W Mays; X Peter Zhang; Matthew S Bratcher

doi:10.1021/ja0508222

Carbon nanotubes with covalently linked porphyrin antennae: photoinduced electron transfer

J Am Chem Soc. 2005 May 18;127(19):6916-7. doi: 10.1021/ja0508222.

Authors

Durairaj Baskaran¹, Jimmy W Mays, X Peter Zhang, Matthew S Bratcher

Affiliation

¹ Department of Chemistry, University of Tennessee, 552 Buehler Hall, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA. baskaran@utk.edu

PMID: 15884911
DOI: 10.1021/ja0508222

Abstract

Single- and multiwalled carbon nanotubes have been covalently functionalized with free-base porphyrin. The quantity of porphyrin linked to the surface was determined from thermogravimetric and UV-vis analysis. A reversible protonation equilibrium between the attached porphyrin and the residual acid groups of the carbon nanotubes has been identified. Steady-state fluorescence emission spectrum of the solutions of porphyrin-linked carbon nanotubes shows that the porphyrins act as energy absorbing and electron transferring antennae, and the carbon nanotubes act as efficient electron acceptors. The porphyrin-linked carbon nanotubes show 95-100% emission quenching, indicating a fast photoinduced electron transfer.