New fullerene-based mixed materials: Synthesis and characterization

摘要

This is the final report of a three-year, Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) project at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). The authors present results of broadband femtosecond transient absorption and broadband nanosecond optical limiting studies of C(sub 60) and derivatized C(sub 60). They have investigated both solutions and solid-state mixed materials (sol-gel glass hosts doped with fullerene guests). They show that derivatized fullerenes provide enhanced solubility and processability, with a ground-state absorption extended into the infrared compared with C(sub 60). They have extensively studied both the dynamic optical response and the excited-state absorption cross sections of solutions and solids for multiple wavelengths in the visible to near infrared. Wavelength-dependent studies show that the optical limiting response improves monotonically at longer wavelengths, demonstrating broadband limiting in all 6,6 mono-adducts and neat C(sub 60). The authors report new approaches to processing sol-gel glass/fullerene composites to improve the optical limiting performance of solid-state materials to approach the response of solution limiters.