Polymer Host for Optical and Terahertz Spectroscopy of Low-Aggregation Nanoparticle Films*

Preparation techniques for producing films of individualized nanoparticle for low-temperature optical spectroscopy are often challenging to execute and specific for a particular nanoparticle system. Here, we present a rapid, facile, and low-cost technique for producing 100 μm-thick nanoparticle-polymer films that exhibit high uniformity, low aggregation, excellent optical transparency, and low terahertz absorption. These films are both robust at cryogenic temperatures and exhibit a high laser damage threshold of 0.3 TW/cm², which make them ideal for pulsed laser measurements. Additionally, we show that free-standing flexible films can be made from 0D quantum dots and 1D single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs). Using absorption, Raman scattering, and photoluminescence excitation spectroscopy we show that SWCNT individualization is maintained from solution to film. Finally, we perform optical pump, terahertz probe measurements on SWCNT films to demonstrate pulsed spectroscopic investigation across a broad electromagnetic regime. This polymer host presents spectroscopists with a straightforward method for producing free-standing and flexible nanoparticle films with low aggregation.