Heptamethine Cyanine Dyes in the Design of Photoactive Carbon Nanomaterials

[Image: see text] Near-infrared (NIR) absorbing nanomaterials, built from anionic heptamethine cyanine dyes and single-walled carbon nanotubes or few-layer graphene, are presented. The covalent linkage, using 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions, results in nanoconjugates that synchronize the properties of both materials, as demonstrated by an in-depth characterization study carried out by transmission electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. UV–vis–NIR and Raman spectroscopies further confirmed the unique electronic structure of the novel photoactive nanomaterials.