Mesostructured Silica/Block Copolymer Composites as Hosts for Optically Limiting Tetraphenylporphyrin Dye Molecules

Transparent silica-block copolymer composites have been used as host matrices for optically limiting dye molecules to increase dye solubility and photophysical stability. For a given concentration, tetraphenylporphyrin (TPP)-doped mesostructured EO 1 0 6 PO 7 0 EO 1 0 6 -silica composites exhibited improved optical limiting properties compared to wholely inorganic TPP-doped silica hosts. Increased TPP solubility within the PPO-PEO block copolymer allows higher concentrations of TPP to be incorporated without dye aggregation, enhancing optical absorption of incident laser light. In addition, the silica framework provides increased damage resistance to a series of intense laser pulses compared to wholely organic host matrices.