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Third-order nonlinearity and optical limiting properties of sol–gel-based bromophenol blue dye immobilized in silica–titania nanohybrid

  • Original Paper: Characterization methods of sol-gel and hybrid materials
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Abstract

Silica–titania (ST) nanohybrid and bromophenol blue (BPB) immobilized ST nanohybrid matrix are synthesized by low-temperature sol–gel route. The influence of BPB on the structural, morphological, and nonlinear optical properties of silica–titania nanohybrid was investigated by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and z-scan technique. FTIR analysis confirms the chemical bonding between hydrophobic BPB dye species and hydrophilic type ST nanohybrid matrix. TEM and AFM analysis shows that the synthesized immobilized nanohybrid has inter-dispersed structure with average particle size of 0.8 ± 0.3 nm, smooth morphology, and low average surface roughness ~4.57 nm. The immobilization of BPB greatly improves the nonlinear refraction response and the nonlinear refractive index increases from 4.8 × 10–9 cm2/W to 451.9 × 10–9 cm2/W. Reverse saturable absorption is observed in both BPB and BPB/ST nanohybrid. However, the magnitude of nonlinear absorption coefficient in BPB/ST is lower than the BPB dye due to the occurrence of saturable absorption of the ST matrix. The optical limiting (OL) behavior of the BPB/ST nanohybrid reveals the low OL threshold at 0.33 kW/cm2. The synthesized BPB/ST nanohybrid has potential as an optical limiters for safety of photonic and optoelectronic devices under low-powered CW laser.

Bromophenol blue (BPB) immobilized silica–titania nanohybrid has been synthesized. FTIR analysis confirms the immobilization between hydrophobic BPB dye species and hydrophilic type ST nanohybrid matrix. The BPB/ST nanohybrid shows the inter-dispersed structure with homogeneous surface. The superior nonlinear refraction response and the nonlinear refractive index 4.52 × 10–7 cm2/W is obtained. The optical limiting action starts at low threshold, 0.33 kW/cm2

Highlights

  • Synthesis of silica–titania (ST) nanohybrid and bromophenol blue (BPB) immobilized ST nanohybrid matrix by sol–gel method is reported.

  • FTIR analysis confirms the chemical bonding between hydrophobic BPB dye species and hydrophilic type ST nanohybrid matrix.

  • TEM and AFM analysis shows the inter-dispersed structure with low average surface roughness ~4.57 nm.

  • The superior nonlinear refraction response and the nonlinear refractive index 4.52 × 10–7 cm2/W is obtained.

  • The optical limiting (OL) behavior revealed the low OL threshold at 0.33 kW/cm2.

  • The synthesized BPB-ST nanohybrid has potential as an optical limiters for safety of photonic and optoelectronic devices under low-powered CW laser.

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Acknowledgements

Mundzir Abdullah acknowledges the financial support by the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, through RMC under the postdoctoral fellowship (vote 04E08) for the performance and the management of the project. Corresponding author is grateful to the Malaysia Ministry of Education through the FRGS fund with vote 03EE89.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laser Center, Ibnu Sina for Scientific and Industrial Research, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

    M. Abdullah, H. Bakhtiar, S. Islam, M. S. A. Aziz & G. Krishnan

  2. Institute of Nano Optoelectronic Research and Technology (INOR), Universiti Sains Malaysia, 11800, Penang, Malaysia

    M. Abdullah

  3. Department of Physics, Faculty of Sciences, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, 81310, Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia

    H. Bakhtiar, M. S. A. Aziz & G. Krishnan

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  1. M. Abdullah
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  2. H. Bakhtiar
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  4. M. S. A. Aziz
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Correspondence to H. Bakhtiar.

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Abdullah, M., Bakhtiar, H., Islam, S. et al. Third-order nonlinearity and optical limiting properties of sol–gel-based bromophenol blue dye immobilized in silica–titania nanohybrid. J Sol-Gel Sci Technol 89, 361–369 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-018-4906-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10971-018-4906-5

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