Interaction of organic compounds with siuca matrix prepared by a sol-gel process for nlo applications

In this work, MNA (2-methyl-4-nitroaniline) and substituted carbazoles were incorporated into silica matrix to form composite thin films on the glass substrate by a sol-gel process for NLO applications. In the composite thin films, the thermal stability was dependent on the type of functional groups incorporated into the organic compounds. DR 1 (disperse red 1) and carbazole-2 (5-nitro-9-hydroxyethyl-cabazole) which has a terminal -OH group showed enhanced thermal stability, whereas carbazole-1 (5-nitro-9-ethyl-carbazole) and MNA, which don't have a reactive functional group, showed rapid degradation upon thermal treatment. This strongthly suggests that the thermal stability of incorporated organic compounds can be enhanced by a reactive terminal group in organic compounds without severely damaging NLO properly.