Embodiments described herein provide functionalized carbon nanostructures for use in various devices, including photovoltaic devices (e.g., solar cells). In some cases, the carbon nanostructures are fullerenes substituted with one or more isobenzofulvene species and/or indane species. Devices including such materials may exhibit increased efficiency, increased open circuit potential, high electron/hole mobility, and/or low electrical resistance.

A method of detecting a presence and/or concentration of a marker, e.g., a marker, in a liquid, e.g., a liquid, is disclosed. The method comprises: contacting the liquid with a sensor having an immobilized affinity moiety interacting with the marker and being configured to generate a detectable signal responsively to the interaction. The method further comprises washing the liquid off the sensor, and detecting the presence and/or concentration of the marker based on a detectable signal received from the sensor within a time-window beginning a predetermined time period after a beginning time of the washing.

A method for producing the photoelectric conversion element includes, in carbon nanotubes including semiconducting carbon nanotubes having different chiralities from each other and metallic carbon nanotubes, changing a chirality distribution in the semiconducting carbon nanotubes, separating the carbon nanotubes into the semiconducting carbon nanotubes and the metallic carbon nanotubes after changing the chirality distribution, covering the semiconducting carbon nanotubes with a polymer after performing separating, and forming a photoelectric conversion film including the semiconducting carbon nanotubes between a pair of electrodes after performing covering with the polymer.

A thermoelectric material includes a polymer matrix and a plurality of partially coated particles dispersed within the polymer matrix. Each particle of the plurality has a discontinuous coating of metal on a carbon-based material. A method includes dispersing functionalized particles comprising a carbon-based material in a solvent; providing a metal salt in the solvent; and forming a plurality of distinct metal volumes on a surface of the functionalized particles to form partially coated particles. The distinct metal volumes are thermally insulated from other volumes of the plurality. A composition of matter includes a discontinuous coating of metal on a surface of a carbon-based material. The carbon-based material is selected from the group consisting of graphene oxide and functionalized carbon nanotubes.

A method of making a carbon nanotube structure includes depositing a first oxide layer on a substrate and a second oxide layer on the first oxide layer; etching a trench through the second oxide layer; removing end portions of the first oxide layer and portions of the substrate beneath the end portions to form cavities in the substrate; depositing a metal in the cavities to form first body metal pads; disposing a carbon nanotube on the first body metal pads and the first oxide layer such that ends of the carbon nanotube contact each of the first body metal layers; depositing a metal to form second body metal pads on the first body metal pads at the ends of the carbon nanotube; and etching to release the carbon nanotube, first body metal pads, and second body metal pads from the substrate, first oxide layer, and second oxide layer.

An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor layer (n-type semiconductor layer) which demonstrate an excellent thermoelectric conversion performance and exhibits n-type characteristics. Another object of the present invention is to provide a thermoelectric conversion layer formed of the n-type semiconductor layer and a composition for forming an n-type semiconductor layer. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a thermoelectric conversion element, which has the thermoelectric conversion layer as an n-type thermoelectric conversion layer, and a thermoelectric conversion module.

The n-type semiconductor layer of the embodiment of the present invention contains a nanocarbon material and an onium salt represented by a specific structure.

An electrically-driven single-photon source for producing single-photon emission. The invention also provides a method for electrically generating single photons employing the principles, materials, device configurations and devices herein. The single-photon source can contain a color center introduced into a carbon nanostructured materials, such as a carbon nanotube or a graphene nanoribbon. The color center can be an organic color center. Also provide are optoelectronic chemical sensors useful for detection of selected analytes, or measurement of local pH, local redox potential or local temperature. The sensors can contain the carbon nanostructured color center host and color center as described for sources herein. Sensors can be operated using the conditions of single-photon sources as described herein.

The invention relates to a method of assembling a biosensor device comprising two or more biosensor units, wherein each unit comprises one or more biosensors comprising one or more carbon nanotubes (CNTs) coated with nucleic acid and one or more sensor molecules coupled to the nucleic acid, wherein each one of the one or more sensor molecules is capable of binding to a target molecule in a sample. Each biosensor unit is capable of detecting a different target molecule in a sample, and each unit comprises one or more biosensors each capable of detecting the same target molecule. The invention further relates to biosensor devices and methods for detecting target molecules in a sample using the same.

A thermoelectric material includes a polymer matrix and a plurality of partially coated particles dispersed within the polymer matrix. Each particle of the plurality has a discontinuous coating of metal on a carbon-based material. A method includes dispersing functionalized particles comprising a carbon-based material in a solvent; providing a metal salt in the solvent; and forming a plurality of distinct metal volumes on a surface of the functionalized particles to form partially coated particles. The distinct metal volumes are thermally insulated from other volumes of the plurality. A composition of matter includes a discontinuous coating of metal on a surface of a carbon-based material. The carbon-based material is selected from the group consisting of graphene oxide and functionalized carbon nanotubes.

The present invention relates to a method for fabricating columnar or lamellar structures of organic molecules aligned into a large-area single domain, and more particularly, to a method for fabricating columnar or lamellar structures of organic molecules aligned into a large-area single domain, in which organic molecules having a random alignment due to their poly-domain structure are spatially confined between a bottom substrate and a top substrate, and then heated above the isotropic transition temperature of the organic molecules, thereby allowing the organic molecules to have a new alignment different from the initial alignment. Columnar or lamellar structures of organic molecules aligned into a large-area single domain, which are fabricated by the fabrication of the present invention, are large-area single domains having a perfectly columnar shape. Also, because the organic molecules are spatially confined between flat substrates regardless of the properties of the substrates and are subjected to a heat-treatment process, the fabrication method according to the present invention enables nanostructures to be formed in a rapid and efficient manner compared to alignments methods employing high temperatures or solvents.