Induced Absorption of C₆₀ and a Water-Soluble C₆₀-Derivative in SiO₂ Sol-Gel Matrices

Abstract

Porous sol-gel glasses, either impregnated with pure C₆₀ or doped with a methanofullerene derivative, have been studied and induced absorption or “reverse saturable absorption” (RSA) has been observed in both types of solid materials. The samples impregnated by pure C₆₀ mainly contain well-dispersed fullerene molecules. Unlike crystalline films of C₆₀, their absorption dynamics can be well described by a 5-level model, developed for non-interacting C₆₀-molecules in solutions. Methanofullerene samples, on the other hand, show signs of micellar aggregation and therefore RSA dynamics that are influenced by solid state effects. We observe an important decrease of transmission at high fluences for both kinds of samples, a shortened singlet-state lifetime to that observed in solution, but nonetheless, a triplet yield, that cannot be considered as negligible. In the case of pure C₆₀ in a sol-gel matrix, we can explain the faster de-excitation dynamics, relative to behavior in solution, mainly by the absence of stabilizing aromatic solvents and also by the interaction of the amorphous environment with the molecules. Concerning the methanofullerene samples, the acceleration of the de-excitation dynamics can be principally attributed to solid-state effects due to the micellar aggregation.