Degenerate four wave mixing in some metal phthalocyanines and naphthalocyanines

Strong light-matter interaction and non-linear effects in organic semiconducting CuPc nanotubes: realization of all-optical diode and switching applications

Spatial self-phase modulation based on the optical Kerr effect has gained momentum in recent years to analyse the nonlinear optical properties of 2D inorganic nanomaterials. In the present work, we investigate the strong light-matter interaction of organic semiconducting materials based on SSPM, by developing Cu-phthalocyanine (CuPc) nanotubes via a solvothermal technique. The low bandgap of CuPc facilitates the study of its nonlinear optical properties for a broad spectrum range from 671 nm to 405 nm. Intense laser light passing through the CuPc dispersion produces concentric diffraction ring patterns at the far field from which high n2 and χ(3) values, 3.667 × 10-5 cm2 W-1 and 2 × 10-3 esu, respectively, are obtained for the 405 nm laser. This strong nonlinear optical response of CuPc has been utilized to realize non-reciprocal light propagation by constructing a CuPc/SnS2 hybrid structure, which makes an effective all-optical photonic diode. In addition, the all-optical switching is presented using CuPc nanotubes based on the spatial cross-phase modulation technique. In this technique a phase change is induced in the weak signal beam modulated by the strong controlling light beam, which helps to produce all-optical logic gates and all-optical switching devices. The experimental findings of this work unravel the potentially powerful applications of CuPc nanotubes in all-optical information transmission and all-optical photonic devices.

Lanthanide-tetrapyrrole complexes: synthesis, redox chemistry, photophysical properties, and photonic applications

Tetrapyrrole derivatives such as porphyrins, phthalocyanines, naphthalocyanines, and porpholactones, are highly stable macrocyclic compounds that play important roles in many phenomena linked to the development of life. Their complexes with lanthanides are known for more than 60 years and present breath-taking properties such as a range of easily accessible redox states leading to photo- and electro-chromism, paramagnetism, large non-linear optical parameters, and remarkable light emission in the visible and near-infrared (NIR) ranges. They are at the centre of many applications with an increasing focus on their ability to generate singlet oxygen for photodynamic therapy coupled with bioimaging and biosensing properties. This review first describes the synthetic paths leading to lanthanide-tetrapyrrole complexes together with their structures. The initial synthetic protocols were plagued by low yields and long reaction times; they have now been replaced with much more efficient and faster routes, thanks to the stunning advances in synthetic organic chemistry, so that quite complex multinuclear edifices are presently routinely obtained. Aspects such as redox properties, sensitization of NIR-emitting lanthanide ions, and non-linear optical properties are then presented. The spectacular improvements in the quantum yield and brightness of Yb^III-containing tetrapyrrole complexes achieved in the past five years are representative of the vitality of the field and open welcome opportunities for the bio-applications described in the last section. Perspectives for the field are vast and exciting as new derivatizations of the macrocycles may lead to sensitization of other Ln^III NIR-emitting ions with luminescence in the NIR-II and NIR-III biological windows, while conjugation with peptides and aptamers opens the way for lanthanide-tetrapyrrole theranostics.

Ultrafast third order nonlinear optical properties of water soluble zinc-octacarboxy-phthalocyanine

Synthesis and measurements of third order nonlinear optical (NLO) coefficients of water soluble zinc octacarboxy phthalocyanine (ZnOCPc) are reported here using different laser pulse durations. Nonlinear absorption and refraction behaviour in the nanosecond (ns), picosecond (ps) and femtosecond (fs) time domains were studied in detail. Three-photon absorption was the prevalent mechanism with femtosecond laser excitation whereas strong reverse saturable absorption due to dominant two-photon absorption (TPA) was observed with picosecond and nanosecond excitations. We have evaluated the sign and magnitude of the third order nonlinearity in fs, ps, and ns regimes. We observed large off-resonant second order hyperpolarizability (γ) with ultrafast nonlinear optical response in the femtosecond domain using degenerate four wave mixing (DFWM) technique. We also report the optical limiting characteristics and figure of merit (FOM) of ZnOCPc for optical switching.

Nonlinear optical properties of phthalocyanines and related compounds

This paper aims to review the advances achieved in the field of nonlinear optics in relation to phthalocyanines and other related compounds. The main focus is on electronic nonlinear processes, such as second- and third-harmonic generation, and mostly on the work performed by Portuguese and Spanish research groups. Several aspects in which these teams were pioneers are described in more detail. In particular, they performed numerous experiments in solution, thanks to their synthetic efforts in preparing soluble compounds, thus enabling the determination of the nonlinear parameters at a molecular level. They also measured for the first time the real and imaginary components (i.e. the magnitude and the phase) of the nonlinear parameters of phthalocyanines and, in some cases, their frequency dispersion behavior. Such detailed studies allow for the elaboration of microscopic models to identify the electronic levels involved in nonlinear processes. Some Spanish groups were also pioneers in the characterization of the nonlinear optical properties of unsymmetrically substituted phthalocyanines and other related compounds, such as triazolehemiporphyrazines and subphthalocyanines.

Sandwich complexes of naphthalocyanine with the rare earth metals

Over the past two decades and in particular the past five years, numerous sandwich-type rare earth complexes containing naphthalocyanine ligands have been synthesized. The more extended delocalized π-electron system of naphthalocyanine in comparison with phthalocyanine generates unique physical, spectroscopic, electrochemical and photoelectrochemical properties which have aroused significant research interest in these compounds. This review summarizes recent progress in research on this important class of molecular materials and overviews the current status of the field.

Photoresponsive J-aggregation behavior of a novel azobenzene-phthalocyanine dyad and its third-order optical nonlinearity

The photoresponsive J-aggregation behaviors of a novel azobenzene-substituted zinc phthalocyanine (azo-ZnPc dyad) were studied by UV/vis, fluorescence, and (1)H NMR spectroscopy. Upon illumination with 365 nm UV light, the trans-cis isomerization of azobenzene can efficiently reduce the steric hindrance around the peripheral oxygen atom of azo-ZnPc, shortening the possible distance between two phthalocyanine molecules and, consequently, greatly improving the tendency of J-aggregation of azo-ZnPc dyad. The third-order optical nonlinearities of the photoresponsive J-aggregates (before and after illumination) were measured by a Z-scan technique at 532 nm with a pulse duration of 25 ps. The Z-scan spectra revealed that all the samples possessed large positive nonlinear refraction and positive nonlinear absorption, exhibiting a self-focusing effect and reverse saturable absorption, respectively. The second molecular hyperpolarizabilities of the dyad in two conditions were measured to be 3.87 x 10(-30) and 4.82 x 10(-30) esu, respectively. All the results suggest that the azo-ZnPc dyad has potential in the field of nonlinear optics applications.

Photophysics and nonlinear optical properties of tetra- and octabrominated silicon naphthalocyanines

The effect of the number of bromide substituents on the photophysical and nonlinear optical properties of the tetrabrominated naphthalocyanine Br4(tBu2PhO)4NcSi[OSi(Hex)3]2 (1) and the octabrominated naphthalocyanine Br8NcSi[OSi(Hex)3]2 (2) has been investigated through various spectroscopic techniques. Absorption and emission of 1 and 2 have been studied at room temperature and 77 K to determine the spectral properties of the ground and the excited states and the lifetimes and quantum yields of formation of the excited states. There is a moderate increase of the quantum yield of the triplet excited-state formation (PhiT = 0.10 vs 0.13) and a decrease of the triplet excited-state lifetime (tauT approximately 70 vs 50 mus) from 1 to 2. These can be attributed to the stronger heavy atom effect produced by the larger number of peripheral bromide substituents in 2 considering that an excited state with a triplet manifold is involved in the excitation dynamics of both complexes 1 and 2. The quantum yields of the singlet oxygen formation (PhiDelta) upon irradiation of 1 and 2 at 355 nm were also evaluated, and a value of PhiDelta(1) = PhiDelta(2) = 0.16 was obtained. In addition to that, octabrominated complex 2 displays a larger decrease of nonlinear optical transmission for nanosecond pulses at 532 nm with respect to the tetrabrominated complex 1. The nanosecond Z-scan experiments reveal that 1 and 2 exhibit both a reverse saturable absorption and a nonlinear refraction at 532 nm. However, both the sign and the magnitude of the nonlinear refraction change from 1 to 2. For picosecond Z-scan in the visible spectral region, these two complexes exhibit only reverse saturable absorption, and the excited-state absorption cross-section increases at longer wavelengths.