SPECTROSCOPIC PROPERTIES OF SOL-GEL DERIVED NANOSCALED HYBRID MATERIALS

An organometallic sol-gel route is presented for the synthesis of conc entrated 12-16- and 6-16-semiconductor cluster assemblies embedded in patternable organosilicate-copolymer films and monoliths. Bifunctional spacers such as aminosilanes, isoeugenol or phosphines have been empl oyed successfully to both control the CdSe and WSe3 nucleation process es and protect the formed clusters from attack by silanol groups of th e matrix lacquer. The size-dependent spectral response of the clusters may be tuned by careful choice of processing parameters. For example, in combined amino-silane/phosphine cluster sols, reversible spectral changes in the UV/Vis spectra are observed due to a ligand exchange in duced growth and decomposition of the cluster aggregates. Alternativel y, thermal treatment of the CdSe-organosilicate films allows control o f the optical absorption onset without matrix damage. Furthermore, we wish to report the development of a new class of functional optical ma terials such as NIR-fluorescing Er3+/ZnO/organosilicate-hybrids.