R. Bruce Weisman
· Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science and NanoEngineeringRice University · Chemistry
Active 1954–2026
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About
R. Bruce Weisman is a Professor of Chemistry and Materials Science and NanoEngineering at Rice University, where he also serves as the Associate Chair for Teaching in the Department of Chemistry. His research group investigates the spectroscopy and photophysics of fullerenes and carbon nanotubes, which are closed nanoscopic structures formed from carbon atoms. His work with fullerenes, such as C60 and C70, involves studying their unusual molecular properties and behaviors following light absorption, utilizing time-resolved absorption and emission methods to explore radiationless decay, photochemical reactions, and energy transfer. Additionally, Weisman’s group has made significant contributions to single-walled carbon nanotube spectroscopy, including the discovery of near-infrared nanotube fluorescence in his lab, and has measured and unraveled the absorption and emission spectra of more than 30 semiconducting nanotube species. His research further extends to elucidating nanotube electronic structures and exploring applications in non-invasive biomedical imaging and analytical nanotechnology.
Research topics
- Chemistry
- Materials science
- Optics
- Nanotechnology
- Biochemistry
- Quantum mechanics
- Condensed matter physics
- Physics
- Neuroscience
- Molecular physics
Selected publications
Journal of the American Chemical Society · 2022 · 115 citations
formazanate dyes in the NIR-II region. In murine glioblastoma models, these dyes can differentiate tumors from normal brain tissues. We anticipate that this new type of small molecule will find potential applications in creating probes and drugs relevant to theranostic for brain pathologies.
Quantum Light Emission from Coupled Defect States in DNA-Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes
ACS Nano · 2021 · 37 citations
Solid-state single-photon sources are essential building blocks for quantum photonics and quantum information technologies. This study demonstrates promising single-photon emission from quantum defects generated in single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by covalent reaction with guanine nucleotides in their single-stranded DNA coatings. Low-temperature photoluminescence spectroscopy and photon-correlation measurements on individual guanine-functionalized SWCNTs (GF-SWCNTs) indicate that multiple,…
Dye Quenching of Carbon Nanotube Fluorescence Reveals Structure-Selective Coating Coverage
ACS Nano · 2020 · 28 citations
Senior authorCorresponding.
Sensors · 2024-10-12 · 18 citations
reviewOpen accessNon-contact and full-field strain mapping captures strain across an entire surface, providing a complete two-dimensional (2D) strain distribution without attachment to sensors. It is an essential technique with wide-ranging applications across various industries, significantly contributing to experimental mechanics and structural health monitoring. Although there have been reviews that focus on specific methods, such as interferometric techniques or carbon nanotube-based strain sensors, a compre…
ACS Nano · 2023-08-30 · 11 citations
articleSenior authorCorrespondingTime-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy has been used to study the displacement of adsorbed sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) from the surface of single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by short strands of single-stranded DNA. Intensity changes in near-infrared emission peaks of various SWCNT structures were analyzed following the addition of six different (GT)n oligomers (n from 3 to 20) to SDS-coated nanotube samples. There is a strong kinetic dependence on the oligomer length, with (GT)3 giving an i…
Recent grants
Quantitative Fluorimetric Analysis of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes
NSF · $493k · 2008–2012
Optical Analysis and Imaging of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
NSF · $550k · 2011–2015
Advanced Optical Characterization and Imaging of Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes
NSF · $606k · 2014–2018
Frequent coauthors
- 243 shared
Sergei M. Bachilo
- 74 shared
Dmitri Tsyboulski
Janelia Research Campus
- 38 shared
Laurent Cognet
Université de Bordeaux
- 36 shared
Saunab Ghosh
Rice University
- 27 shared
Daniel E. Resasco
University of Oklahoma
- 25 shared
Anton V. Naumov
- 24 shared
R. E. Smalley
- 23 shared
Satish Nagarajaiah
Rice University
Labs
Analytical Method Development, SWCNT Spectroscopy/Photophysics, SWCNT Bio-imaging Applications, Structural Health Monitoring
Education
- 1976
Ph.D., Chemistry
University of Chicago
- 1971
B.A., Chemistry
Johns Hopkins University
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