Optical limiting performance of meso-tetraferrocenyl porphyrin and its metal derivatives

Abstract

meso-Tetraferrocenyl porphyrin and its metal derivatives were found to be excellent optical limiters towards second harmonic of Q-switched Nd:YAG nanosecond laser. meso-Tetraferrocenyl porphyrin 3a, its zinc 3b, and copper 3c derivatives exhibited superior optical limiting performance than the benchmark fullerene C 60, and rest of the metal derivatives 3d-3e are comparable. Reverse saturable absorption phenomena is mainly responsible for the optical limiting behaviour in these compounds. The ratio σ ex/ σ 0 was estimated from the nonlinear transmission characteristics of 3a-3e. The ratio σ ex/σ 0 more than 7 was obtained in case of 3a, which makes them attractive candidates as optical limiting material. © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.