Large ultrafast nonlinear optical response and excellent optical limiting behaviour in pyrene-conjugated zinc(II) phthalocyanines at a near-infrared wavelength. (January 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Husain, Ali; Ganesan, Asaithampi; Sebastian, Mathew; Makhseed, Saad
• Is Part Of: Dyes and pigments. Volume 184(2021)
• Publication Date: 2021-01
• Subjects: Pyrene conjugated zinc(II) phthalocyanines -- Click chemistry -- Optical limiting threshold -- Fifth order nonlinearity -- Non-linear optical absorption; Dyes and dyeing -- Periodicals; Pigments -- Periodicals; 667.2
• DOI: 10.1016/j.dyepig.2020.108787
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0143-7208

Abstract

Abstract: The design and synthesis with full structural utilization of a new type of nonlinear photonic material, Zinc(II) phthalocyanine macrocycle (Pc-pyrene ), bearing binary oriented (up/down) pyrene units is reported. The novel pyrene-based macrocycle has been successfully obtained in high yield upon coupling multiple azido pyrene derivatives on a previously fabri-cated alkynyl-substituted macrocyclic platform (Pc1 ) via multiple tandem Cu(I)-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reactions. The ultrafast nonlinear optical characteristics of both Pc1 and Pc-pyrene have been investigated in solution using a near-infrared femtosecond pulsed laser. The femtosecond Z-scan results reveal a low optical limiting threshold and a good set of figures of merit that make these macrocycles feasible for optical limiting as well as switching applications. In a major breakthrough, ultrafast laser-induced deformations in Pc-pyrene-embedded PMMA films results in a very large enhancement of the three-photon absorption coefficient at 800 nm by up to ~10 5 times that of Pc solutions. Furthermore, the deformed Pc-pyrene PMMA films having the advantage of flexibility and possess an excellent optical limiting threshold (0.0018 J/cm 2 ), much lower than various previously reported values, which enables them to be one of the best optical limiters. Graphical abstract: Image 1