Strong photoluminescence characteristics of sulforhodamine B attached on photonic crystal

Abstract

The optical properties of sulforhodamine B (SRH) impregnated in photonic crystal by two step synthetic processes including a urethane bond formation between a 3-isocyanatopropyl triethoxysilane (ICPTES, -N=C=O) and a SRH with elevated temperature in pyridine and hydrolysis-condensation reactions between synthesized ICPTES/SRH (ICPSRH) and tetraethoxyorthosilicate (TEOS) in NH4OH. The monodisperse silica spheres impregnated the ICPSRH (ICPSRHS) are fabricated. The reduction of the absorption peak at 2270 cm-1 representing asymmetric stretching vibration of –N=C=O indicates the progress of the reaction and new absorption peak at 1712 cm-1 characterizing –C=O stretching vibration indicates the formation of urethane bond. The UV-visible absorption spectra show the broadened spectral line width by intermolecular interaction. The photoluminescence (PL) peak of the SRH in methanol shows a hypsochromic shift with the increase the excitation wavelength. However, the PL peak for the ICPSRH exhibits a bathochromic shift as the excitation wavelength increases. The PL peak for the ICPSRH shows no hypsochromic or bathochromic shift. The PL peaks for SRH in methanol, ICPSRH and ICPSRHS are at 568, 598 and 572 nm, respectively. The main cause of the PL peak shift is due to the intermolecular interaction.