Quasi one-dimensional photonic crystals based on refractive index control of polymer nanofibers
Project Director: Dr. Monica ENCULESCU
National Institute of Materials Physics
The scientific goal of the project is to obtain quasi one-dimensional photonic crystals based on polymer nanofibers. One characteristic of a photonic crystal is the periodicity over one or more axes. In principle, photonic crystals are periodic optical nanostructures that affect and change the propagation of photons. The aim of the project is to produce by electrospinning dye-doped polymer nanofibers incorporating uniformly dispersed metal or semiconductor nanoparticles. By doping the polymer with dyes and further co-doping with nanoparticles we will be able to tailor both the refractive index and the luminescent properties of the material. A photonic crystal band gap will be produced, similar to the semiconductor band gap. The features of the electrospinning process allow us (by the process parameters such as applied voltage, distance from the anode to cathode, viscosity of the polymer solution etc.) to vary the geometrical parameters of the polymer nanofibers. That will influence the optical properties of the material. Moreover, by varying the concentration of the dopants (particles/dye) and the size of the doping particles we can achieve periodic modulation of the refractive index. By controlling the setting of the nanoparticles into the dye-doped polymer nanofibers we will be able to produce a photonic band-gap material and to obtain a quasi one-dimensional photonic crystal out of a single doped polymer nanofiber.
The main objective of the proposed project is to produce by electrospinning dye-doped polymer nanofibers incorporating uniformly dispersed metal, semiconductor or insulating nanoparticles. By achieving this objective we intend to obtain quasi one-dimensional photonic crystals based on polymer nanofibers..
Various optical phenomena occur when light is propagating through periodically organized dielectric media. Thus, the photonic bandgaps and the changing of the refractive index induced by anisotropy of the material have perspective applications in controlling light.
The insertion of various nanoparticles in the polymer fibers is intended in order to tailor the optical properties such as refractive index, wavelength of the emission bands, absorption edge/cut-off wavelength. We intend to produce dye-doped polymer nanofibers in which a diversity of nanoparticles (metals, semiconductor, and insulators) will be inserted. Different dyes will be used in order to obtain dye-doped polymer fibers and to change the optical properties, both luminescence and refractive index. Moreover, metallic (Ag, Au), semiconducting (TiO2) and insulating (SiO2) nanoparticles can tailor the refractive index and the cut-off edge of our polymers and can modify the luminescent properties of the fibers.
The project is divided in 4 stages (each corresponding to a calendar year). For every stage we dedicated an yearly objective that will be accomplished by several activities. Table 1 is presenting the workplan of the project with proposed objectives/milestones and activities.
| Stage I | Optical properties of dye-doped polymers. |
| Objective 1 | Obtaining dye-doped polymers with controllable optical properties. |
| Activities | A.1.1. Synthesis of dye-doped polymer thin films by spin coating (testing the principle); A.1.2. Establishing the influence of different dyes and their concentrations on the optical properties of dye- doped polymers. |
| Stage II | Morphological properties control of dye-doped polymer nanofibers. |
| Objective 2 | Synthesis of dye-doped polymer nanofibers by electrospinning. |
| Activities | A.2.1. Synthesis of PVP, PVA, and PMMA nanofibers by electrospinning - establishing the apppropiate electrospinning parameters; A.2.2. Synthesis and morphological characterization of polymer nanofibers doped with dye (rhodamine 6G); A.2.3. Determining the influence of the electrospinning process on the morphological properties of the rhodamine doped polymer nanofibers. |
| Stage III | Optical properties control of dye-doped polymer nanofibers. |
| Objective 3 | Tuning the luminescent properties of dye-doped polymer nanofibers. |
Activities | A.3.1. Synthesis of polymer nanofiber ( PVP, PVA, PMMA) doped with different dyes (coumarin, rhodamine, sulphorodamine); A.3.2. Establishing the influence of the dye’s concentration on the luminescent properties of dye-doped polymer nanofibers; A.3.3. Measurements of the refractive index of dye-doped polymer nanofibers. |
Stage IV | Refractive index tuning with metal nanoparticles embedded in dye-doped polymer nanofibers. |
Objective 4 | Controlled modification of the dye-doped polymer nanofibers’refractive index |
Activities | A.4.1. Synthesis of dye-doped polymer nanofibers codoped with metallic (Ag, Au), semiconducting (TiO2), or insulating (SiO2) nanoparticles. A.4.2. Establishing the influence of nanoparticles’diameter on the refractive index of the dye-doped polymer nanofibers codoped with A.4.3. Achieving refractive index control of dye-doped polymer nanofibers codoped with various nanoparticles by uniform distribution of the codoping materials. |
| Participant | Name | Attributions in the project |
| Team Leader (TL). | Dr. Monica Enculescu - CS II | preparation by electrospinning of polymer nanofibers and dye-doped polymers nanofibers with embedded metallic nanoparticles; investigation of the morphological, compositional, structural and optical properties of pure and doped nanostructures by SEM, energy dispersive X-ray analysis, X-ray diffraction, optical spectroscopy; coordination and management activities; |
| Senior Researcher (SR). | Dr. Ionut Enculescu – CS I | electrospinning polymer nanofibers, evaluating morphological, compositional and optical properties, coordination activities; |
| Researcher (R). | Dr. Nicoleta Preda – CS III | synthesis of doped and undoped polymers solutions; structure, compositional and optical measurements; |
| Post Doc (PD). | Dr. Elena Matei – CS III | measurements regarding morphology and structure evaluation; |
| PhD Student (S). | Camelia Florica - ASC | characterization measurements, processing the results; |
| PhD Student (S). | Alexandru Evanghelidis - ACS | preparation by electrospinning of polymer nanofibers; |
1. Luminescent micro- and nanofibers based on novel europium phthalate complex,
M. Enculescu, N. Preda, E. Matei, I. Enculescu
Materials Chemistry and Physics, Volume 136, Issue 1, pp. 51-58 (2012)
2. Self-assembled electrodeposited samarium oxide/zinc oxide nanostructured films with
intense, broad luminescence,
E. Matei, M. Enculescu, I. Enculescu
Electrochimica Acta, Volume 95, pp. 170-178 (2013)
3. Dependence of the dye's type and concentrration of the emissive properties of electrospun
dye-doped nanofibers
M. Enculescu, A. Evanghelidis, C. Busuioc, C. Florica, A. Costas, M. Oancea, N. Preda,
E. Matei, I. Enculescu
Digest Journal of Nnomaterials and Biostructures, 9 (2) (2014) 809-816
4. Influence of morphology on the emissive properties of dye-doped PVP nanofibers produced
by electrospinning
M. Enculescu, I. Evanghelidis, I. Enculescu
Journal of Physics and Chemistry in Solids, Manuscript number PCS-D-13-00970.
5. Structural and morphological evolutions induced by the annnealing of CaF2 nanocrystalline powders by
using Eu3+ probe luminescence
S. Polosan, M. Enculescu, M. Secu
Radiation Measurements, Manuscript Number: RADMEAS-D-14-00164R1
6. Optical and morphological properties of TiO2 doped polymer nanofibers produced by electrospinning
M. Enculescu, A. Evanghelidis, I. Enculescu
Materials Chemistry and Physics, Manuscript in preparation
Contribution to international conferences:
Size Dependent Luminescence of Dye Doped Nanorods Obtained in Polymer Membranes
Monica Enculescu, Christina Trautmann
EMRS Spring Meeting 2011, 17-14 May 2011, Nice, France
Functional Nanostructures Obtained in Ion Irradiated Templates
M. Enculescu, E. Matei, N. Preda, I. Enculescu, M.E. Toimil Molares, C. Trautmann, J-Ph.
Ansermet
EMRS Spring Meeting 2011, 17-14 May 2011, Nice, France
Wet-chemical Synthesis of Luminescent Europium (III) Doped Nanofibers
Monica Enculescu, Nicoleta Preda, Elena Matei, Ionut Enculescu,
16th International Conference on Composite Structures ICCS 16, 28-30 June 2011, Porto,
Portugal
Low-dimensional structures with tailored light emitting properties
Enculescu M, Matei E, Preda N, Enculescu I
E-MRS 2012 Spring Meeting, 14-18 May 2012, Strasbourg, France
Emissive properties of dye-doped polymer thin films containing metallic nanostructures
Enculescu M, Matei E, Florica C, Preda N, Enculescu I
4th International Conference on NANO-structures SELF-Assembly (NanoSEA 2012), 25-29
June, Santa
Margherita, Cagliari, Italy
Influence of metallic nanostructures on the optical properties of dye-doped polymer thin films
Enculescu M, Matei E, Enculescu I, Trautmann C
TNT 2012- Trends in NanoTechnology Conference, 10-14 September, Madrid, Spain
Influence of nickel nanowires on the optical properties of dye-doped polymer films
M. Enculescu, E. Matei, N. Preda, C. Florica, I. Enculescu
E-MRS 2013 Spring Meeting, 27-31 May 2013, Strasbourg, France
Influence of the ZnO nanorods on the emissive properties of dye-doped polymer thin films
M. Enculescu, E. Matei, N. Preda, C. Florica, I. Enculescu
E-MRS 2013 Fall Meeting, 16-20 September 2013, Warsaw, Poland
Electrospun nanofibers with tuneable emissive properties
M. Enculescu, A. Evanghelidis, C. Busuioc, N. Preda, E. Matei, C. Florica, A. Costas, M. Oancea,
I. Enculescu
E-MRS 2014 Spring Meeting, Symposium Q: Hybrid materials engineering in biology, chemistry and
physics, 26-30 May 2014, Lille, France
Dr. Monica Enculescu
Scientific Researcher II
Tel: +40213690185
Fax: +40213690177
Address: National Institute of Materials Physics
Multifunctional Materials and Structures
PO Box MG-7, Magurele-Bucharest, 77125
Romania
PROJECTS/ NATIONAL PROJECTS
Copyright © 2024 National Institute of Materials Physics. All Rights Reserved