Optical Spectroscopic Techniques in Nanomaterial Science: Raman, Infrared, Photoluminescence

Dear Colleagues,

Optical spectroscopic techniques are indispensable tools in modern nanomaterial science, as the light–matter interactions provide a wealth of complementary information over the traditional diffraction and electron microscopy techniques. Quantum confinement effects substantially modify the electronic structure and the optical excitation spectrum in nanoscopic volumes of materials. These changes are readily observable in photoluminescence (PL) spectra and are on the basis of several modern optoelectronic applications.  Low-dimensional objects, like layered materials and nanowires, often display local atomic coordination and symmetry not existing in the corresponding bulk substances. The breakdown of local atomic symmetry in low dimensional materials as a rule leads to the activation of phonons, which are otherwise Raman and infrared inactive in the bulk. This fact makes the Raman and infrared spectroscopy sensitive probes for the atomic bonding and arrangement in a wide range of nanomaterials. For example, in recent decades, Raman spectroscopy has become a major characterization technique for most of the carbon allotropes.

Another actively growing field of research in nanomaterial science concerns surface enhanced spectroscopic techniques based on the resonant coupling between the optical wave and the surface plasmon on properly designed plasmonic nanostructures. For example, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) is among the fewer analytic techniques capable of sensing individual molecules.

The aim of this Special Issue of Nanomaterials is to cover recent advances in optical spectroscopic techniques – photoluminescence, Raman and infrared, in the most general scope of modern nanoscience. Papers describing the development of new nanomaterial characterization protocols, as well as more fundamental research giving insight into the structural, electronic, and optical properties of nanomaterials, are welcome.

Dr. Victor Genchev Ivanov
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nanomaterials is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.