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Yan CC, Che ZL, Yang WY, Wang XD, Liao LS. Deep-red and near-infrared organic lasers based on centrosymmetric molecules with excited-state intramolecular double proton transfer activity. Opto-Electron Adv 6, 230007 (2023). doi: 10.29026/oea.2023.230007
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Deep-red and near-infrared organic lasers based on centrosymmetric molecules with excited-state intramolecular double proton transfer activity
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Abstract
Organic lasers that emit light in the deep-red and near-infrared (NIR) region are of essential importance in laser communication, night vision, bioimaging, and information-secured displays but are still challenging because of the lack of proper gain materials. Herein, a new molecular design strategy that operates by merging two excited-state intramolecular proton transfer-active molecules into one excited-state double proton transfer (ESDPT)-active molecule was demonstrated. Based on this new strategy, three new materials were designed and synthesized with two groups of intramolecular resonance-assisted hydrogen bonds, in which the ESDPT process was proven to proceed smoothly based on theoretical calculations and experimental results of steady-state and transient spectra. Benefiting from the effective six-level system constructed by the ESDPT process, all newly designed materials showed low threshold laser emissions at approximately 720 nm when doped in PS microspheres, which in turn proved the existence of the second proton transfer process. More importantly, our well-developed NIR organic lasers showed high laser stability, which can maintain high laser intensity after 12000 pulse lasing, which is essential in practical applications. This work provides a simple and effective method for the development of NIR organic gain materials and demonstrates the ESDPT mechanism for NIR lasing. -
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References
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Deep-red and near-infrared organic lasers based on centrosymmetric molecules with excited-state intramolecular double proton transfer activity
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Yan CC, Che ZL, Yang WY, Wang XD, Liao LS. Deep-red and near-infrared organic lasers based on centrosymmetric molecules with excited-state intramolecular double proton transfer activity. Opto-Electron Adv 6, 230007 (2023). doi: 10.29026/oea.2023.230007
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Figure 1.
(a) Chemical structures of the template and target compounds. (b) The normalized UV‒vis absorption and PL spectra of HPJP and DHN-DJP in DCM solutions.
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Figure 2.
(a) Diagram of the ESDPT process in DHNs. (b) Calculated relative energies (kcal/mol) on S0 and S1 of DHN-DMP in vacuum.
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Figure 3.
(a, c, e) The normalized UV‒vis absorption and PL spectra of DMN- and DHN-doped PS films. (b, d, f) The decay plots and fitted curves of DHNs.
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Figure 4.
(a) Schematic diagram of a single DHN-doped microsphere. (b) PL micrograph of a single DHN-doped microsphere. Inset: scanning electron microscopy image of a single DHN-doped microsphere. (c) Partial magnifications of PL spectra of DHN-doped microspheres with different sizes. (d) The related curve of λ2/Δλ (λ: emission wavelength; Δλ: the space between the individual resonance peaks) at 700 nm versus D (D: diameter of selected microsphere). Inset: the simulated electric energy density in the cross-section of a microsphere with dimeter D = 10 µm. Red corresponds to the highest field density and blue is the lowest field density.
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Figure 5.
PL spectra of (a) DHN-DMP-, (d) DHN-DPP- and (g) DHN-DJP-doped PS microspheres under different pump densities. (b) Plots of lasing intensity as a function of pump density of a (b) DHN-DMP-, (e) DHN-DPP- and (h) DHN-DJP-doped PS microsphere. Insets: brightfield micrographs of the PS microspheres used in laser measurements. (c) 2D mappings of lasing intensity versus the number of pulses of a (c) DHN-DMP-, (f) DHN-DPP- and (i) DHN-DJP-doped PS microsphere, pumping density: 47.8 µJ/cm2.
