Spectroscopic properties of pure and Coumarin 153-doped thin films of sol-gel silica xerogels

Thin-films doped with Coumarin 153, an important laser dye, have been prepared by the sol-gel method. Spectroscopic properties of the entrapped dye are studied by electronic absorption, diffuse reflectance, electronic excitation, emission and time-reserved emission techniques. The obtained results indicate that the entrapment of the dye results in formation of molecular aggregates having absorption and emission characteristics different from those of the monomeric dye. The blue matrix emission band (at approx. 450 nm) is relatively short-lived while the red band (at approx. 700 nm) displays a very long lifetime. Electronic excitation spectra of the sol-gel thin-films suggest that the two matrix-related luminescence bands possess the same electronic origin. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.