L2C - Laboratoire Charles Coulomb

1D Confinement

The theme of one-dimensional (1D) confinement explores how the physical properties of matter evolve when atoms or molecules are confined within nanometer-scale structures, notably inside single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) or mesoporous matrices.

TEM image of Phtalocyanine molecules confined into CNT

An initial study focuses on one-dimensional heterostructures based on hybrid carbon nanotubes (HNTs), obtained through the encapsulation of molecular or atomic species within the core of CNTs.

Confinement of organic dyes inside CNTs induces charge or energy transfer within the resulting HNTs. The influence of interactions between electron donor or acceptor molecules and the host system, as well as the supramolecular organization resulting from confinement, is investigated for potential optoelectronic applications (ANR NACRI project).

Concurrently, one-dimensional molecular magnets are developed from CNTs through encapsulation of phthalocyanine-type molecules (ANR SMM1D project).

The confinement of water molecules within carbon nanotubes is also studied, in synergy with the Nanofluidics theme, to better understand confinement effects on the dynamic and structural properties of fluids at the nanometer scale.

EDX image of Bi confinement in a nanoporous silica matrix

Another approach investigates the confinement of bismuth (Bi) and Bi1−x Sb alloys within nanoporous zeolitic silica, silica, or mesoporous alumina matrices. This confinement aims to form nanowire networks with enhanced electronic and thermal properties for solid-state Peltier cooling applications in the 50–350 K temperature range (ANR NANOBIPELT project).

These studies contribute to a deeper understanding of 1D confinement effects and to the design of new functional materials for optoelectronics, spintronics, and thermoelectric applications.

Defended or on-going Ph.D thesis :

  • A. Koulechoff (2024-2027)
  • L. Miénné-Abbou (2025-2028)

References :

  • Chem. Soc. Rev., 2024, 53, 8457–8512
  • Metals 2024, Volume 14, Issue 1, p.40
  • Carbon, 186, 2022, 423-430
  • Carbon 173 (2021) 163-173
  • Carbon 149 (2019) 772-780

Funded projects on this topic :

  • ANR SMM1D : Addressing single-molecule magnets via 1D nanoframeworks
  • ANR NACRI : 1D optoelectronic NAno devices from ChRomophore confinement into
  • Individual nanotubes (2024- 2028)
  • ANR NANOBIPELT : Nanometric Bismuth wire / nanoporous silica composites for Peltier cooling