Several dyes such as a spiropyran, a spirooxazine and two tetraarylporphyrins have been incorporated inside hybrid organic-inorganic matrices synthesized through the acid hydrolysis of dimethyldiethoxysilane and zirconium n- propoxide. These matrices are nanocomposites with well defined hydrophilic (zirconium oxopolymer nodules) and hydrophobic (polydimethylsiloxane chains) domains. As a consequence, they are good candidates to investigate dye-matrix interactions in matrices containing transition metal. These interactions are shown to occur through hydrogen bonds, covalent bonds or Lewis acid-base type bonds. They strongly modify the optical response of the dyes (absorption-emission spectra, lifetime, kinetics...).

Date Published: 2 October 1997
PDF: 10 pages
Proc. SPIE 3136, Sol-Gel Optics IV, (2 October 1997); doi: 10.1117/12.284116

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3136:
Sol-Gel Optics IV
Bruce S. Dunn; John D. Mackenzie; Edward J. A. Pope; Helmut K. Schmidt; Masayuki Yamane, Editor(s)