Blue-to-orange color-tunable laser emission from tailored boron-dipyrromethene dyes

Abstract

A series of meso-substituted boron-bipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes are synthesized and their laser and photophysical properties systematically studied. Laser emission covering a wide visible spectral region (from blue to orange) is obtained by just changing the electron donor character of the heteroatom at position 8. The additional presence of methyl groups at positions 3 and 5 results in dyes with a photostability similar to that of the unsubstituted dye but with much improved efficiency. Correlation of the lasing properties of the different dyes to their photophysical properties provides inklings to define synthetic strategies of new BODIPY dyes with enhanced efficiency and modulated wavelength emission over the visible spectral region. Brighter blue-green dyes: The attachment of heteroatoms at the meso position of boron-bipyrromethene (BODIPY) dyes modulates the emission region from orange to blue. Further methylation at positions 3 and 5 improves the laser efficiency, thereby maintaining a high photostability. The combination of both effects leads to BODIPYs with improved laser and fluorescence performance in the blue part of the spectrum. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.