Optical limiting properties of 3,5-diphenyldibenzo-azaBODIPY at 532 nm

Abstract

Optical limiting properties of 3,5-diphenyldibenzo-azaBODIPY were investigated by using the z-scan technique at 532 nm in the nanosecond pulse range and a strong reverse saturable absorption (RSA) response was observed, which can be readily attributed to a two-photon absorption (TPA) assisted excited state absorption (ESA) mechanism in the singlet manifold based on a consideration of the other photophysical properties. The effect of solvent and incorporation into polymer thin films has been investigated in depth. The results indicate that the selection of solvents that enhance the population of the S₁ excited state on the nanosecond timescale or embedding the azaBODIPY dye into polymer thin films significantly improves the optical limiting properties.