Light emission from three-dimensional ensembles of CdTe nanocrystal wires templated in nanotubes of chrysotile asbestos

Nanowires have been formed by the infiltration of CdTe nanocrystals (NCs) into nanotubes of chrysotile asbestos (Mg3Si2O5(OH)4). Photoluminescence of a regular array of these templated nanowires was studied under the excitation of the light from a xenon lamp at different wavelengths. Strong interactions of nanocrystals with structural defects of the template were observed. No dependence of the photoluminescence spectra upon polarisation of the laser beam was observed and no shift of the photoluminescence band was detected in the light polarised along and across nanowires, thus indicating the weakness of the interaction between nanocrystals in the nanotubes.