Understanding the Raman enhancement of carbon nanohorns labelled with organic dyes

Carbon nanohorns have been non-covalently functionalized with two different benzothiadiazoloquinoxalines prepared via Stille cross-coupling reactions under solvent-free conditions and microwave irradiation. The close interactions between these organic molecules and the nanostructures resulted in a prominent Raman enhancement, which makes them attractive candidates for multiple applications. A complete experimental physico-chemical characterization has been combined with in silico studies to understand these phenomena. The processability of the hybrids was exploited to prepare homogeneous films on substrates with different natures.

Automated summary

Carbon nanohorns were non-covalently functionalized with two different benzothiadiazoloquinoxalines via Stille cross-coupling reactions and solvent-free microwave irradiation. The organic molecules and nanostructures exhibited close interactions, leading to significant Raman enhancement and making them appealing for various applications. Both experimental physico-chemical characterization and in silico studies were conducted to gain insights into these phenomena. The processability of the hybrids allowed for the preparation of homogeneous films on diverse substrates.