Noncovalently silylated carbon nanotubes decorated with quantum dots.

A nanoassembly of single-walled carbon nanotubes coated by a thin layer of silica followed by quantum dots was prepared. That the quantum dots retained their photoluminescent properties after deposition onto the silylated carbon nanotubes suggests that the thin layer of silica prevented the quenching of the fluorescence by the nanotubes. This fluorescent nanoassembly represents an excellent building block for photoelectric and optical devices and biological nanoprobes.