The effect of dendritic substituents on a nonlinear optical chromophore for optical power limiting (OPL) has been investigated. Synthesis and characterization of bis((4-(phenylethynyl)phenyl)ethynyl)bis-(tributylphosphine)platinum(II) with dendritic end groups are described. Polyester dendrimers up to the fourth generation were grown divergently using the anhydride of 2,2-bis(methylol)propionic acid (bis-MPA). The introduction of the dendritic moieties onto the NLO chromophore enables further processing of the materials using polymeric and related techniques. OPL measurements performed at 532, 580, and 630 nm show that the OPL properties improve with increasing size of the dendritic substituent. It is also shown that the addition of the dendrons increase the OPL as compared to the nondecorated bis((4-(phenylethynyl)phenyl)ethynyl)bis-(tributylphosphine)platinum(II). By use of femtosecond z-scan measurements carried out at different pulse-repetition frequencies, it is shown that the two-photon absorption cross section is ∼10 GM. Using pulse repetition frequencies (100 kHz-4.75 MHz) so that the time between the pulses is comparable with the triplet excited lifetime, the z-scans become dominated by excited-state absorption of excited triplet states.

Platinum(II) acetylides were incorporated into poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) glasses to obtain solid‐state nonlinear optical devices. We report on device fabrication, structural, chemical, and mechanical properties, as well as the optical limiting capabilities of the final solids. Two different guest‐host systems are presented: 1) Dye molecules functionalized to be readily dispersed in methyl methacrylate (MMA) and subsequent in situ polymerization of the MMA yielding solid PMMA host matrices. 2) Dye molecules functionalized to copolymerize with MMA forming covalent bonds between the guest and the PMMA host matrix. A range of doped organic solids were prepared, reaching concentrations up to 13 wt% of the guest molecule. Raman spectra of the doped solid devices indicate that the chemical structure of the nonlinear dyes remains intact upon the polymerization of the solid matrix. Luminescence spectra confirm that the basic photophysical properties observed for the same solute molecules in THF are maintained also in the solid state. Optical power limiting (OPL) characterization reveal clamping levels for the dyes nonbonded to the solid host being less than 4 µJ at pulse energies up to 110 µJ at 532 nm (f/5 arrangement and 5 ns pulses), which is comparable to the performance of similar dyes in THF solutions. In contrast, the highly crosslinked solid possesses a higher clamping level (8 µJ) at the same nominal concentration.

No abstract

Three different triazole-containing platinum(II) acetylide compounds were synthesized by click chemistry and evaluated for their use in optical power limiting (OPL) applications. The triazole unit was incorporated at three different positions within, or at the end of, the conjugation path of the chromophore. The aim is to explore the possibilities of using click chemistry to prepare dendronized chromophores, and to evaluate how the triazole structure affects the photophysical properties and the optical power limiting abilities of these acetylide compounds. It is shown that the concept of click chemistry can be used to attach branched monomer units to ethynyl-phenyl arms by Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, forming triazole units within the chromophore. Photophysical characterization of these triazole-containing materials shows an absorption maximum within the UV-A region and emission through both fluorescence and phosphorescence. Bright phosphorescence was emitted from argon purged samples, and decay measurements thereof showed triplet lifetimes of up to 100 ms. The results from the photophysical characterization suggest that the triazole does break the conjugation path, and in order to gain maximum optical limiting the triazole needs to be placed at the end of the conjugation. All three investigated triazole-containing platinum(II) acetylides show good optical power limiting at 532 nm (10 ns pulse, f/5 set-up, 2 mm cells). The most efficient compound, with the triazole positioned at the end of the conjugation, reaches a defined clamping level of 2.5 mJ for a sample with a concentration of 50 mM in THF and a linear transmission above 80% at 532 nm. These data can be compared to the OPL properties of Zn-based porphyrins or derivatized thiophenes, reaching clamping levels of 6-15 mJ.

Immobilizing liquid crystalline polymers on cellulose generates new possibilities of accomplishing addressable/responsive bio-based substrates. In this paper we report on our first steps to combine the electro-optic properties of liquid crystals with the versatility of paper as a displaying substrate. Electric current or magnetic fields can be used to manipulate the orientation of liquid crystals and thereby change the appearance and the properties of the material. Atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) can be used successfully to graft polymers from solid substrates in a controlled manner. In this study it is shown that the grafting of a liquid crystalline monomer, 11-(49-cyanophenyl-40-phenoxy)undecyl acrylate, onto cellulose by ATRP is possible, and that thicker films can be obtained by using PMA as a spacer in between the cellulose and the liquid crystalline block. The cellulose fibers become highly hydrophobic subsequent to grafting and the liquid crystalline polymer possesses mesophases accessible for further processing.

Tri‐block copolymers of linear poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and hyperbranched poly‐3‐ethyl‐3‐(hydroxymethyl)oxetane (poly‐TMPO) are reported. The novel dumb‐bell shaped polyethers were synthesized in bulk with cationic ringopening polymerization utilizing BF3OEt2 as initiator, via drop‐wise addition of the oxetane monomer. The thermal properties of the materials were successfully tuned by varying the amount of poly‐TMPO attached to the PEG‐chains, ranging from a melting point of 54 °C and a degree of crystallinity of 76% for pure PEG, to a melting point of 35 °C and a degree of crystallinity of 12% for the polyether copolymer having an average of 14 TMPO units per PEG chain. The materials are of relatively low polydispersity, with Mn/Mw ranging from 1.2 to 1.4. The materials have been evaluated for usage with the energetic oxidizer ammonium dinitramide. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 6191–6200, 2009

International audienceCyanine dyes decorated with 2,2-bis(methylol)propionic acid (bis-MPA) based dendrons up to third generation were synthesized. Dendrons were attached to the chromophore using a “click chemistry” reaction. Photophysical characterizations of these dyes show intense absorption and emission in the near-infrared (NIR), while nonlinear transmission experiments of the dendron-decorated chromophores indicate that properties in the IR of the parent dyes are conserved. This synthetic approach is a crucial preliminary step towards the preparation of solid functional materials for optical limiting (OL) applications in the IR

No abstract