Organometallic Materials with Unique Optical Properties

NDSU Research Foundation
posted on 02/02/2012

Scientists at North Dakota State University have recently developed a family of novel organometallic materials that have unique optical properties that make it ideal for use in optical switches, organic light emitting devices (OLED), and optical sensors. This invention revolves around platinum terdentate and bidentate complexes designed, characterized, and synthesized by the inventors. These complexes exhibit broad and strong reverse saturable absorption and/or two-photon absorption in the visible and the near-IR region with excellent solubility in organic solvents. They also exhibit high-efficiency emission at room temperature. The color and/or the emission of the complexes could change upon physical (temperature) or chemical (pH values, anions, cations, volatile organic vapors, etc.) stimuli. The novelty in this invention is the introduction of substituted fluorenyl unit to the platinum complexes in order to increase the emission efficiency, adjust the solubility, and enhance the two-photon absorption in the near-IR region.

Suggested Uses

•Optical switching applications, such as telecommunications and computing. •Organic Light Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) with higher efficiency. •The creation of optical sensors.

Innovation Details

Detailed Description

Optical-limiting materials are nonlinear optical materials that can transmit most of the light at low intensities, but absorb, reflect, refract, or scatter light at high incident intensities for the creation of optical sensors, as well as other applications. Nonlinear absorption, particular reverse saturable absorption and two-photon absorption, has long been recognized as useful for optical limiting, however, it has not previously been possible to design molecules that exhibit large nonlinear absorption. To remedy this deficiency, the relationship between nonlinear absorption and molecular structure has been explored. Organic/metallo-organic complexes are ideal candidates for this application because of their large, fast, and broadband optical nonlinearity. In addition, the chemical structures of these complexes can be easily modified.

File Number: RFT-344

Web site: http://www.ndsuresearchfoundation.org

Other Information: US Patent Pending

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This innovation currently is not available for online licensing. Please contact Jonathan Tolstedt at NDSU Research Foundation for more information.

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